Protect
by Sakaki's Little Sis1
Summary: Toboe is kidnapped by two men who know that he's a wolf since they saw him and Tsume in wolf form! Trying to stay strong, Toboe has to go through beatings, survival, and trying to stay alive. Can he do it? And can the others get there in time? RR plz!
1. Pain Starts

Title: Protect  
  
Rating: PG-13  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Wolf's Rain (sigh) There. I said it. Toboe! Tsume! Hige! Kiba! (huggles them all) I luvv you all soooo much! I own the bad guys and stuff.  
  
Warning: Umm....swearing, violence, adult situations(nothing REALLY bad. Just mentions of stuff), and changing of POV (point of view)'s a lot. Oh, and if you're wondering, this isn't a yaoi ficcie. I don't like ToboexTsume. This is more of a fluff fic. Or, so I try.  
  
Start Story (Toboe POV)  
  
Trudging softly behind the group, my brown eyes glanced up at what was ahead of us all. It was nothing but green grass as far as the eyes could see. I sighed deeply. Was this even worth it? I ask myself that sometimes since we're all basically starving ourselves, and for what, I ask you. What? Tsume says that this place is nowhere on this planet but yet he still comes along with us. I don't think I could go on this trip without him by my side because he's helped me get out of a lot of situations. Like my ice cold older brother. Or something. I stare back at the grass as Tsume looks back at me. They're a considerable amount ahead of me. I feel like I'm going to melt under the hot sun beating down on me like I'm in an oven with the heat at it's highest. How can they not be hot is what I have to ask?  
  
Then again, they aren't complaining, so why should I? So I may be young but they have to go through the same thing I'm going through. I have to prove myself that I can do whatever they can. Just because they are older doesn't mean that they're more smart. Okay, okay, in reality they are but I don't want to be the weak link. Not anymore. Tsume's saved me enough times already. Maybe I'm just a burden for them all to protect? Should I give up right now? Am I just slowing them down from their goal?I shake my head at that thought. No. I deserve to be here just as much at they do. I may be young but I want to find paradise just as much as Kiba or Hige or Tsume do! That's right. I look up once again just to see they had all stopped. Then I look at why they stopped. In my train of thought I stopped dead in my tracks. Just staring down at the grass like an air head. The three raised eyebrows at me.  
  
I blushed really bad. A strong wind blew and a shiver went up my spine. "I-I'm sorry. I didn't realize that I had stopped."  
  
"Uhhh...you okay?" asked Hige, turning all the way around. He put his hands in his pockets, I just paled down a bit. "You don't look to good at all, runt. Want to slow down?"  
  
"I'm not a runt!" I snapped back. They sort of jerked back. Guess they aren't used to me snapping back. Not really in my line of character to reply with an attitude. "I'm just tired. That's all. But I don't want to slow you guys down. So lets get going."  
  
I started walking and passed Hige first who just shrugged, than Kiba of which who's frowned deepened, but I finally stopped by Tsume. He put a hand in front of my chest to prevent me from walking any further. Then he put that hand on my forehead to check a temperature, I think. I looked at him with my eyes showing confusion as to what he was doing.  
  
"Hn. Let's get rest," Tsume suggested to Kiba. "We've gone non-stop for a whole twenty four hours now. We may be used to it but he isn't. His body will give out if we don't stop."  
  
"Tsume..." I whispered. Was he worried about me? My eyes brightened up and I got all excited. Guess he saw that.  
  
"I don't want to be the one to carry him over my shoulder," He added. I sulked a bit. Should have known that it would end up for his reasons.  
  
Kiba put a cool hand on my forehead as Tsume sat in the never ending grass field. "You don't have a temperature. Yet that is. Tsume is right. Your little body can't take as much as us full grown wolf's can."  
  
"I'm not little!" I shouted back. "I'm just tired! Aren't you guys?"  
  
"Calm down there, pup," Hige said, putting a hand on my shoulder. I grunted in response. "Give yourself a break."  
  
"Okay..." I gave up. I didn't want them all down my back about this. I'll admit, I'm tired. But I feel like I'm slowing everyone down from what they want to do. Like it's all my fault. I don't like to feel guilty and that's why I fought back even though I'm really tired and do need to rest. This time I am gracious that we stopped because I fell right to sleep.  
  
IIIII (Tsume POV)  
  
Waking up in the middle of the night, I looked around. Kiba was looking up at the moon while Hige was sleeping. Where the heck was the kid? I found out when I tried to sit up, he was holding onto my arm, and he was still asleep. I turned a bit red but gently pulled myself away from the young boy. Believe me, I don't say this often or even think it often, but the boy really was quite cute while he was sleeping. A little angel. I stood up and it made the boy move around a bit because he had to be cold. It was cold outside.  
  
Deciding that I didn't want him to get sick, I tapped on Kiba's shoulder. I motioned to the cold Toboe who was stirring and he handed me his coat. I went over and placed it on the pup. He tightened his grip around the warm and curled up into it. Maybe we were pushing young Toboe to much? He was still a young pup. And they weren't really used to traveling far distances like us older wolves. Even if he claimed to be doing okay, he couldn't change the fact taht he was still a cub. Plus the fact that he didn't have his mom or dad to teach him the hunting skills (since he is quite poor at that) wasn't to good either. Guess, since he follows me around all of the time, that I should take the roll. Not a dad. Just...an older brother.  
  
Guess that I've already became that. He's really changed my mind about everything. I sit next to him, protectively setting my hand on his back as he began to stir again, kicking his feet and whimpering, has to be having an awful dream. At first I only saved him because he reminded me of the child that I wasn't able to save. Then...he sort of just stuck around. I know that if he had a choice of which three of us he'd want to follow to the ends of the Earth he would choose me. It's just a fact. Not that I'm trying to be cocky or anything. And no matter what I did, yell at him, hit him, slap him away, he'd still follow me. Trying to be my friend. He really does need someone to follow around. He's a cub. And pups need someone to cling to. I'm not sure why he decided to cling to me but he found something in me that no one else saw before. Made me feel good about myself.  
  
Toboe is still at a vulnerable state. I stand up as he stops stirring and start to walk away. All I want to do is go for a walk to think about things. Not sure what things, but it was a clear night with not that much wind (even if it was considerably cold), but I did have stuff on my mind. As I begin to walk away Kiba has to ask.  
  
"Where are you going?" he asks in his deep tone. Like he's the frickin' leader of the group. He is...but it pisses me off to think that he is. I didn't answer him, he didn't have to know where I was going. He asks me again, obviously annoyed that I was ignoring him. "Tsume, where are you going?"  
  
I turn around. My only concern in this group was Toboe so all I said was "Keep an eye on the kid for me cause I'm going for a walk. I think that he's having a bad nightmare." I started on my way for that walk that I much needed.  
  
IIIII (Narrator POV)  
  
Staring at the moon, Kiba sighed. Maybe Paradise was just a couple more miles away. Or it could be far, far away. Who knows? Maybe he was leading these three on a never ending journey? No. Paradise is out there. Somewhere. It's close. Kiba can't smell the Moon Flowers yet but there would be a time when they can. Paradise wasn't far away.  
  
Then, Hige asked to Kiba "Do you think Toboe can handle this?"  
  
"Hm?" Kiba asked, surprised a bit from hearing Hige. He had been sleeping just a moment ago. He turned around to see Hige standing behind him.  
  
"I mean.." Hige added as he sat down next to his fellow wolf "It's obvious that this is taking a toll on his body. A lot from what I can tell too. He hasn't even woken up and we stopped at around three or four at night."  
  
"Your worried?"  
  
"Of course. Aren't you?"  
  
"I think he can make it. As long as he thinks that he can, he will be able too," the wiser wolf replied. He kept that expressionless look on his face the whole time. "He may be younger but he can do this. We may not go at a fast pace because we have to wait for him at times. But I think that there's someone even more worried than us about him."  
  
"Who else would there be?" the other wolf replied, scratching his head in confusion. "You talking about Tsume? The cold loner that doesn't trust anybody?"  
  
"Think about it. I think that he thinks of Toboe as a younger brother. Or even a son," replied Kiba sweetly. "He told me to keep an eye on him. Haven't you ever noticed that he lets him follow him around like a little pup would to his family? Toboe needs someone right now because he still is a cub. And he chose Tsume. Once Tsume realized that he couldn't break away from it, and that he could trust him, I think that he more or less embraced Toboe's innocence."  
  
"And God knows that Tsume needs innocence," joked Hige. His stomach growled loudly. "And that I need food."  
  
"You're always hungry."  
  
"Be quiet. Anyway, I think it's cute," Hige added. He smiled and looked up at the sky. "Yep. It's cute alright. Toboe finally made Tsume warm up to someone. It took hell for Toboe to get to this point and I think that he is only going to get more attached."  
  
"Tsume's attached too," Kiba said. "And don't say cute. It doesn't seem to suit you."  
  
"Shutup," he hissed back.  
  
IIIII (Toboe POV)  
  
Waking up in a cold sweat from my awful dream, I looked around. I had screamed out 'NO!' when I sat up so Hige and Kiba looked back at me. I panted heavily as I looked around me. No wonder I was so hot now, I had been freezing before, but Kiba had put his coat on me. I guess. Then I noticed that Tsume wasn't around. Just....like in my dream. Tsume hadn't been there and I was being poached. No one wanted to help me. I kept running and running and running in my wolf form, yelling for Tsume or someone to help me, until one caught up to me. They were about to shoot me between the eyes but than I woke up.  
  
"Bad dream?" asked Hige to me. I nodded slowly. "It's a full moon out tonight. And you can see it. Come watch it with us."  
  
I asked, quickly, "Where's Tsume?"  
  
"He went on a walk about...forty minutes ago?" Kiba replied, looking at Hige for the time length.  
  
A walk?! At this late at night? Only bad people were out this late at night, prowling around. He could get himself hurt. I suddenly got worried about him.  
  
"Which way did he go?" I continued on with the questions.  
  
"That way," Kiba replied, pointing from the back of me.  
  
"Okay!" Jumping up I squeaked that out. Kiba stopped me with some more of his words.  
  
Kiba said "I think he wants to be alone. Besides, you shouldn't be out there by yourself."  
  
"I can take care of myself perfectly fine!" I huffed out. Okay, it was a small lie. But it's not like I'm completely helpless. I sighed once again. Maybe Tsume did want to be alone? "Well....I want to just go see if he's okay. I don't think he would venture very far. Would he?"  
  
"Who knows. He's one strange dude," Hige replied, laying back down. He looked at my mad expression. "Awww...did I make the chibi mad at me?"  
  
"He's not strange! He's cool!" I snapped back and ran off in the direction that Kiba pointed too. I wanted to be by Tsume's side. He's like an older brother to me. I don't want to loose that because he's threatened to leave before so I wouldn't doubt him leaving now. But why would he? Because of me slowing things down? Was it my fault? I hoped not as I kept on running to find my friend.  
  
IIIII (Tsume POV)  
  
Stopping just a small mile away from everyone, I didn't think anything of it. I loved to take walks at night. Especially if the moon was out bright like this. It seemed to consume the skies. I sat under a tree and sighed. How long would I last on this trip? If it didn't go anywhere soon I would leave. That was for sure. And those three knew it too. But...I am reluctant to leave. Really, I am. It's not Hige hogging the food and not letting the other two eat. I'm not worried about Kiba filling their minds with crap because he already has fulfilled that mission. All I care about is Toboe and how he's going to take me leaving. Or what he'll do. If he'll follow me wherever I happen to go. That would be so annoying. But I've sort of gotten used to him following me. Toboe can be so clueless at times. I'm worried that if we let him out in the real world that he would get himself skinned. He can be so careless with trusting people. Not all people can be trusted. That's another thing that bugs me about him. If he thinks that their okay he just does anything for them.  
  
Humans weren't to be trusted. You could trust your own kind. Us wolves are not like them, they don't understand our struggle to survive in this strange world, and Toboe can't go out there with no clue on how everything works. He could get hurt. And he's been hurt since a young age. I don't want him to grow up like me. I mean, look at me. Scarred. Cold. Bitter. Loner. Aloof. I don't trust people. And he still looks up to me. So what kind of example am I setting for him? To be cold? Not to trust anybody? That's what I've done all of my life. I never knew another way to live other than of what I've been taught to do. He's been raised to love. Been loved. Not like me. Toboe is the exact opposite from me so I think that makes us attracted to eachother as brothers. We're teaching eachother bit by bit. The good...and some bad. I've never even dared to think of myself as a good person. Much less a role model to kids or younger wolves. I want to know what he sees in me. I don't see it. No matter what I try to find I always go to when I'm mean. Cold. Yelling at someone or smarting off. Some people are born not to get along with other people. Maybe of one of them?  
  
I thought that for a while until Toboe liked me. You know, once someone accepts you, the good and the bad, no matter how bad you think you are, someone out there will like you. And someday you'll meet them. I don't think I was prepared for Toboe. When you meet someone that accepts you, you see them through their eyes. I think that I'm liking myself a bit more. But I want to know what he sees. One of these days I'll have to ask him why he ever even wanted to be my friend.  
  
"Tsume!" I hear from a distance. That voice! I look over and there's Toboe, running towards me. What the hell is he doing up this late at night? He reached me and was huffing from running so far. "I....I was looking for you."  
  
"What are you doing up?" I asked as he sat next to me. He set his head on my shoulder. "And what do you think your doing now?"  
  
"I was scared..." he muttered out.  
  
"Of what? Kiba and Hige were there. You don't need me around all of the time, do you?" I snapped as he looked ashamed for saying it. He just held onto my arm and snuggled up against me. "Your cold? Aren't you?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"I'll ask again, what you scared of?"  
  
"Umm...well....I had a nightmare," he said. He started shaking from fright I guessed. "I couldn't get away and they kept chasing me."  
  
"Who?"  
  
"Poachers after wolves. I had changed in wolf form to catch something and they saw me. They started chasing me and they were going to shoot me. One was about to kill me but I woke up."  
  
"Don't worry about it kid," I replied with a sigh. Guess I'm starting to play the big brother or something. I wrapped my arm around him because he started to hyperventilate and he started to cry in my chest. I guess that I could try to be nice for once. Once. "You don't have to worry about it. I'm right here. If I'm by you I won't let anyone hurt you. Okay? Calm down."  
  
IIIII (Toboe POV)  
  
Everything kept running through my mind. What happened in the dream. It scared me so much because I knew that it could happen in the real world so I started crying so bad. I was glad that Tsume held me, letting me cry into him, while telling me that he would be by my side. It helped me. I have to admit that it was a bit embarrassing to cry in front of the person that you look up to most but I couldn't help but do it. Soon enough, I was a wolf and howling out of sadness.  
  
"Stupid! No! What if there are poachers out here!?" shouted Tsume angrily at me. "Calm down, dammit, calm down!"  
  
I calmed down and snuggled against him in my human form once again. He was right. I had to calm down. Or I would get him in trouble too.  
  
"I'm sorry," I apologized.  
  
"Just don't do that again."  
  
"Tsume..." I said softly. I hugged him and he yelled 'What do you think your doing!?' really loudly. I was hugging him. He should get used to it because I'm going to do it more often because he's my older brother. I decided that in my head. He's my older brother. He looked down at me with a confused look on his face. "Thank you so much. I don't know what I'd ever do without you!"  
  
"Ummm..." he started blushing. I looked up at him, a big smile on my face. "Yeah. Okay. You can let go now."  
  
I let go and sighed. "You want to go back now?"  
  
"Go do whatever the hell you want," Tsume replied as he got up. My brown eyes followed him as he started walking away.  
  
"Tsume! What are you doing?" I asked, chasing after him.  
  
"I'm hungry. I'm going to look for something to kill," Tsume said. "Do you want to come along? I think that you need training to catch something because you aren't very good at it."  
  
"Okay!" I nodded. Wait. He just insulted me. As we walked out towards of what seemed nowhere I said "Hey! You insulted me! Didn't you!?"  
  
"And...?"  
  
I just crossed my arms and pouted a bit.  
  
IIIII (Narrator POV)  
  
Kiba and Hige heard Toboe's howling. They looked at eachother then over at where Toboe had been heading.  
  
"Do you think something happened?" Hige asked, putting a hand on his hip. "Maybe Tsume was just picking on him. Or something. And then Toboe got sad. It could happen since Tsume can be a really ass sometimes to the kid."  
  
"Mmmm..." Kiba was trying to decide. What Hige said could be true. Tsume could have said something really hurtful and then made Toboe cry, or it couldn't have happened. With those two you never know. But than something really could have happened. And as far away as they were anyone could have heard him howling and gone over there. They were in danger no matter what. "I think we should go see. Just to check."  
  
"Aw man. I'm still tired," groaned Hige in anger as he had to get up and run with Kiba towards where their friends were heard. "And do we have to run?"  
  
"If they're in trouble we have to hurry," Kiba replied.  
  
The two automatically thought the same thing, of which was to go faster was turning into wolves, so they went to their natural state of body. The white and the brown wolf raced off to find their friends.  
  
IIIII (Tsume POV)  
  
He really has never gone hunting. We're in our wolf forms and we found a huge area where birds are on the trees. He's trying to climb up there, trying to surprise them, but all he is succeeding in doing is scaring them all away. I walk up to him with my stomach growling. I look up and there's a branch not to far up from us, five feet maybe, that he should be able to get the tiny birds in the nest fine. The mother bird was nowhere around so we couldn't get pecked. I motioned with my head up to the branch. He got the gist of it and hunched down, glaring at the nest. It was quite amusing because he would shake his butt and then growl. He jumped up and got on the branch.  
  
I watched as he knocked down the nest with his wet nose and it landed in front of me. He jumps down and triumphantly looks at me. I ignore that and remove the nest that toppled on the birds with my paw. None of the birds had survived the fall. Good. I don't like a meal that squirms.  
  
From there...I won't tell details. It was a nice feast and I got two and he got two. My stomach was satisfied with it. Toboe sat down and whined. Could he still be hungry?! His face said that he was. I looked up at the tree to signal that the smart birds were flying away, since they saw what just happened, and that he really should hurry it up if he's going to do anything. Toboe jumped from branch to branch and caught another bird. A big one this time. He jumped back down and sat it in front of me. I stared at him and his ears went back and he laid down. Making that whining noise once again. Then I realized what he was doing. He was trying to make me proud of him since I hadn't shown any sign of being proud of his catch the last time. To show that he could catch a big one too.  
  
"Okay, okay, you did a good job," I told him unenthusiastically.  
  
He perked up for a moment but than his ears went back down. "You soooo did not say that like you meant it at all, Tsume."  
  
"You did a good job. Deal with it," snapping at him I suddenly heard footsteps. How couldn't I heard it before? A human was right behind us and the flashlights went on us. I turned around to see him. A man wearing a large fur coat, and all black with long brown hair plus squinting green eyes.  
  
"Well, well, well...these aren't dogs. I heard the howling of wolves out here. Someone will pay a good deal to have you two," the man said like we couldn't understand him. He held his hand out to us and said "Come over here, buddies. I won't hurt you."  
  
'Like hell you will' I thought. I said to Toboe "Run."  
  
"Tsume!" I heard him cry, but not as a wolf, but as a human. I turned around and someone was holding Toboe by the neck, a couple inches off of the ground. Damn! "Help me..." he hissed through clenched teeth as the man tightened his grip around his throat.  
  
I snarled at the man. I wasn't able to attack since Toboe could be hurt. That's the last thing that I wanted. But he was already being hurt.  
  
"Turn into your human form. Now," ordered the man behind me. How did they...? "We saw you transform. We've been watching you for the last fifteen minutes. Be a good boy and do it for us. Or I can't be sure your little buddy will get any air."  
  
"Tsuuummeee!" he barely gasped out for my help. That bastard was going to suffocate him if I didn't do this!  
  
I knew there was no other way to help him. Changing back to human form, I sighed. The man behind me tried to hit me in the head with the back of his gun but I swung around and hit him in the stomach. His gun went off and got me in the leg. I cried out in pain as the pain seared through my leg.  
  
"No! Don't hurt Tsume!" said Toboe as he was dropped but the man still held his arm so he couldn't get to me. I dropped to the ground as the man kicked me in the stomach repeatedly. "Stop it! Your hurting him! If you don't stop it I'll turn into a wolf and kill you! I will!"  
  
"Don't you even dare," said the man holding him. He pointed his own gun to the back of his head. "Or I'll shoot."  
  
"Nooo..." said Toboe as the man pushed the cold weapon into the back of his head. "Please! Leave us alone!"  
  
I was forced to look up when the man grabbed my hair and jerked my head up, only to see the man holding that had kicked me in the stomach pointing a gun to my face.  
  
"If you didn't have guns you wouldn't stand a chance," I growled out. "Cowards!"  
  
"Just follow us. And don't try anything funny ei-" the man was cut off by a bite the arm.  
  
My yellow eyes looked over and there was the white wolf, Kiba, biting in the mans arm. He let go and the man dropped the gun. The other one that held Toboe was my target. But he still had a gun pointed to my friends head. Kiba was still wrestling with the other man as I limped up to face the man holding Toboe.  
  
Then I noticed that Hige was crawling up behind the man. He must have saw me looking over his shoulder because he turned behind him and randomly shot. He hit Hige in his front paw and he fell to the ground. I turned into my white wolf form and jumped for the guy but he shot at me. It only grazed my side but it burned. I was set off course and fell to the ground also.  
  
"No!" shouted Toboe, trying to break away from the mans grasp.  
  
Then...I blacked out.  
  
IIIII (Toboe POV)  
  
I have to help Tsume, Kiba, and Hige! That's what ran through my head over and over. But I was useless like this because he kept the gun to my head the whole time. If I changed he would kill me. But...my friends. I want to help them so badly. And I'm so scared for all of our lives.  
  
"Roi! Let's go!" shouted the other man as soon as he had kicked Kiba so much that he was unable to get up. "We'll just take the boy. He'll be worth more because he's just a young cub. The others are hurt anyway."  
  
"Okay, Fujii," Roi replied. He tugged on my arm and said "Come on, kid, we're leaving."  
  
"No! I won't leave with you! Let me go!" I shouted, struggling to get away. I didn't care about myself anymore. My friends were hurt. "I said let me go!"  
  
"Shutup," ordered Roi as he kicked me in the stomach.  
  
I fell to my knees and he just roughly grabbed my arm and pulled me. I was barely able to keep up. All that ran through my mind was that the others would somehow be able to help me. I could hear their whimpering. Their cries. But I wasn't able to help. And now I was going with people that wouldn't have a problem with hurting me. Please...someone help....  
  
IIIII  
  
This is my first Wolf's Rain ficcie so please be nice! Please? Don't forget to review! And don't worry, I won't torture Toboe...to badly. I warn you! Fluff is going to come! Mwahahhahahhahhhahahha-  
  
(gets hit over the head by Kate-Kate)  
  
Kate-Kate: Be quite! How dare you do that to my baby! (huggles Toboe) Toboe! My sweet chibi! I'll never let you go!  
  
Toboe: OO Help.... 


	2. Pain Killers

Warning: Toboe gets beat. A lot. Also, a cold hearted Tsume. That's all for now. Don't forget to review!  
  
(Toboe POV)  
  
After being dragged a couple of miles my thoughts of being out of here were zero to none. And I was dragging a bit because my body wasn't on tip top shape since the pack and I traveled so far in a short amount of time. I mean, if I turned into a wolf, they would shoot me. If I would go after one the other would take out his gun, shoot me, than probably kill me because I would be hurt; of no more use to them. I began to wonder what they were going to do with me. Or who would they sell me too. I don't want to be hurt. I really don't. And from what they just did to my friends (Mental Note: When you get the chance, rip out their hearts and intestines) they wouldn't have any remorse of hurting me. They were both cold-hearted.  
  
We suddenly stopped. I looked around. What was happening? There was nothing around here, well, with the exception of grass. Roi still had a strong hold my arm and it was starting to cut of circulation to the rest of my arm. It was beginning to really hurt! I tried to pull away but he just pulled harder to him. I couldn't keep it anymore. I had to say something.  
  
"What the hell are we doing around here?! I want to know why your taking me and where your taking me!?! And you just hurt my friends you cold hearted things!! How could you!?" I yelled into the night. The two were shocked by my outbreak. "I hate you!!!"  
  
"Don't speak to us that way your stupid brat!" Fujii said to me, he smacked me across the face. "Your lucky I don't make you pay for what your friend did to me. But it doesn't hurt all that much anymore. And if your a good boy and cooperate you won't get yourself hurt."  
  
"I won't cooperate! I won't be a 'good boy'! I'LL NEVER GO WITH YOU!" I screamed and turned into my wolf form. I bit Roi who had still been holding my arm. It didn't seem to phase him at all. Guess my teeth hadn't grown in fully or something since I'm still just a pup.  
  
Deciding that it wasn't good to stick around, I let go but he just grabbed me by the scruff of my neck and I was defenseless. I turned back to a human so atleast I could reach those bony fingers digging into my neck. If Fujii hadn't told him let go of me I would have choked to death. But it didn't stop there. Fujii threw me to the ground and started screaming profanity. When I started trying to run away he fired right at my feet. I was thrown off balance and fell back down. They continued to beat me from there.  
  
"No more..." I begged in a hiss as I held my stomach of which they had repeatedly kicked. "Please....no more...?"  
  
"Just be a good boy from now on and we'll consider it," spat out Roi. He picked me up by my hair and looked me straight in the eyes. "I wouldn't want to hurt that pretty little face that you have...or do I?"  
  
I started visibly shaking. I was tired, lonely, and I don't know what they were going to do to me. Roi just kept a hold of me from my arm. My poor stomach took a horrible beating. It feels like the ribs in me are going to bust at any second. I don't know if I could take it if they were to do it again so I better to what they say until I can escape. And then I'll get them for what they did to my friends. They will pay.  
  
That still didn't answer my question of why are we here? There's nothing here, dammit! Nothing! And we've been waiting for nothing for over an hour now. And Roi's looking at me strangely. Eeeeeewwwwwwwwww..... It makes me even more afraid of what they have in store. I want Tsume... even Kiba or Hige would do. Just somebody... help me. I don't want to go through this. But until I did see them again I would have to be more tough than what I am right now because if I'm a glob of jello than they'll pick on me even more than they are now. They'd probably love to see me shake in my boots. Well, I'm not going to do that, you freaks. I'm going to have to be strong. Strong like my friends would be in this situation. I know Tsume could handle it well. Heck, he'd probably be out by now!  
  
So I have to be brave. Don't cry. No matter what they do to me I won't be afraid. I'll find a way out of here. That's what I have to keep on telling myself. I will get out. I will be fine. I will see Tsume, Kiba, and Hige again. Just wish I would have gotten to say goodbye....  
  
"Our rides here," informed Fujii coldly as a car pulled up.  
  
"Come on, kid, cheer up," ordered Roi sarcastically. "You don't even know if this is your last night of the living or not. So be happy."  
  
I just let myself be thrown into the car with no response to him. I didn't feel like it. We drove away and I was crushed. My heart shattered into a million peices. From this point on I really had to fight this battle on my own. And...it was scary.  
  
IIIII (Kiba POV)  
  
Turning back to a human, my bruised body made itself atleast sit up if nothing less. I hold my stomach of which is doing turns and I groan in pain. It must have alerted Hige because he, in his wolf form, limped over to me. His wound was bleeding really badly. The bullet still jammed deep within his front right paw. I glance over to see what Tsume was doing. He was standing up in his human form, limping from a gun shot in his leg and a graze on his side. We really got our asses beat this time.  
  
It runs through my mind at that second. Toboe!  
  
"Toboe? Where is he?" I asked quickly, actually sounding worried, hoping that the answer was wrong. Even though I knew that it wasn't. They had taken him.  
  
"You know damn well where he is," Tsume hissed. He must feel badly right now, I know from the look on his face, it's one of pure sadness. "So don't ask again."  
  
Hige turned into a human and put his other hand over his hurt hand. "I think that we should get better and then look for Toboe. At this rate, we would be hurting ourselves, and be no use to rescue him when we get there."  
  
"Who says we're rescuing him?" Tsume asked.  
  
We stared at him like 'What are you talking about!?'  
  
"You heard me. If he can get himself in trouble he can get himself out of it. I don't really care anyway."  
  
My face went cold. My usual expression on my face. "Would you be able to say the same thing if Toboe was standing in front of you? Would you be able to say that you don't care? If you really don't then suit yourself, be the cold hearted bastard you are, but as for me I'm going to go get him. I'm not going to let him suffer. He's only a cub."  
  
"..." Tsume didn't really have anything to say. I figured that much. I was beginning to get through to him. I waited for a reply but got none. Guess I would have to put more of a guilt trip on him.  
  
"Do you know how much he looks up to you? He would be heart broken to know that the one person that he looks up to most in his entire life doesn't even give a damn that he's been taken. I want you to imagine Toboe's feelings. He's scared. Alone. And they probably wouldn't even hesitate to beat or shoot him if they need too. If I were Toboe I would want my friends to come for me too. And I know that you know that he thinks of you as an older sibling. So stop with the tough act and get with it."  
  
"Shutup!" Tsume shouted. "You don't know anything! They're probably going to kill him anyway so we'd be wasting our time!"  
  
He still didn't get the picture! I stood up and walked over to him. I hit him to the ground and said "Talking to you is a waste of time. Precious time that could help Toboe before he does get killed. Saving him is worth it."  
  
IIIII (Tsume POV)  
  
I knew that Kiba was right. I knew it. But...I don't know why I don't want to save the kid. Not that I don't care it's just that he's always dragging us down so we should be happy he's gone. Right? After being hit to the ground I knew that he was being dead serious with me. I stood up. I wasn't going to fight anymore. We should save him.  
  
"No more arguing?" Hige asked me.  
  
"Shutup. I'm only doing this because-" I was rudely cut off by Kiba.  
  
"Because your worried," He said. I looked to the grass. "It's okay to say it. Come on. Let's get our wounds taken care of and by tomorrow night we'll get going. I know their scent. They won't be that hard to find."  
  
"They said that they were going to sell us," I informed as I sat back down next to the others near those trees. I looked down at the bird of which Toboe had caught for me. To make me proud of him. To try to show that he'll be okay.  
  
(Toboe...I'm not going to let you die out there) I thought to myself.  
  
IIIII (Toboe POV)  
  
In the backseat of the car, I considered unlocking the door and then jumping out. Then turning into a wolf and run for my life. But Roi, since Fujii was driving the vehicle, kept a close watch on me through the rear view mirror. It creeped me out. I looked out the window. We were on the rough back road so it was rather bumpy and I kept bouncing on the seat. When we hit a particular large bump my head hit the ceiling and it started giving me a headache. I guess that they didn't want to take the main way because there were to many people to see us. And that I would be able to signal for help anytime that I wanted to.  
  
I rubbed my head which started to get worse by the minute. It was beginning to hurt really bad so I needed some headache medicine. Or something. Plus the fact that these jerk's laughs were booming loudly through out the car. I had to ask for something to help my headache.  
  
"Excuse me," I said to them. Roi looked in the rear view mirror to see what I wanted. "I was, ummm, wondering if you had any headache medicine. I hit my head on the ceiling and, well, it hurts."  
  
"Deal with it," Roi replied.  
  
"But it really, really hurts!" I snapped back.  
  
"Didn't you hear me?! I said deal with it!"  
  
"I don't want to!"  
  
Roi turned around to look at me. He took my chin in a bruising grip and hissed "If you make one more noise I'll make sure that you'll feel pain like you've never felt it before. Got it, you little pup?!"  
  
I was angry, so I shouted "I'm not little!" and then I slapped his hand away. "I may be a pup but I'm not little!"  
  
"Fujii, park the car," ordered Roi.  
  
"Why?" he asked.  
  
"Just do it. I need to teach the boy who's boss!" Roi hissed back.  
  
My heart stopped as the car slid to a halt. I didn't want to be hurt again. I was already bruised from head to toe. And there was no one out here, in this dirt area, to hear me scream for help as that man beat me.  
  
He got out of the car and opened my door. I tried to escape the grasp of him pulling on my leg but he pulled me roughly to the ground. Roi sat on my back so I wasn't able to move. I screamed out in agony for he grabbed my right arm and bent it backwards to the point of where it was going to snap. Trying to move to ease the pain didn't help much either. It just began to hurt worse and worse. I thought he was planning to break my arm but he then gave my wrist the same treatment. A whole another pain flowed through me then.  
  
"Nooo! Stop it! It hurts!" I shouted, trying to get out from underneath the man. "Let me go or I'll bite you!"  
  
"Do you want me to snap your wrist, pup?!" he threatened me, making the pain more unbearable as I could feel the bone begin to break. "I will."  
  
"Please..." I whimpered out, giving in. "Just make it stop!"  
  
He let my wrist go, out of mercy, I guess. I thought it was all over but a new pain began as he used a pressure point on the back of my neck to make my head throb. My headache boomed painfully. Feeling like my head would explode I tried to move but he would just increase the pressure with the thumb so I stopped moving. I wouldn't cry. I wouldn't cry. I kept telling myself that I wouldn't cry. Knowing that Tsume would refuse to too gave me some strength to keep it all inside.  
  
As I thought I was going to pass out since there was so much pain he suddenly stopped. I was fearful for everything now. My whole body ached, my head pounded angrily at me, and I feared that he would try to find another way to put me through hell. But...he didn't do anything more.  
  
"You better listen to me when I tell you something, brat," Roi ordered. "Or I will break your arm. Now tell me your sorry."  
  
I sobbed out "I-I-I'm sorry..."  
  
My head hurt just from anyone talking. It felt like it would explode. My whole right arm was sore, my whole body was sore actually. I guess that if I wanted to stay alive that I would have to do what they told me too. Or, atleast, if I didn't want to go through that kind of pain again. I began to wish that Tsume was here. Or Kiba. Even Hige because they would help me. Wouldn't they?  
  
IIIII (Around seven in the morning....still Toboe POV)  
  
All alone, sitting in a small room, I could hear people outside. We had came to this big city and a warehouse. When I came in here I saw other children wolves, about seven others, pulling a huge thing of boxes on a sled into the warehouse. It was horrifying. Seeing them sweat just to pull that heavy weight. They must be so tired. It ran through my mind of how long have they been doing this? Where were their families or friends? Did they do this for work or were they slaves to these humans? Now I understand what they want to do with me, and what they said when they were going to sell us, sell us into slavery. But there had been only kids. Some a little younger then me by the looks of it. In this small room there was a window looking outside. I already tried the door and smashing it in my wolf form but neither worked. I was still bruised and beaten. My head had gotten better atleast.  
  
This room had three beds, a sink in the corner. Though, the beds weren't all that comfortable, neither were the pillows, both rock hard, but they had nice and furry blankets. There had to be other wolves in here because there were two book bags by the bed that I was sitting on. I looked out the window. A black wolf with white paws was getting whipped because he was getting tired and was slacking. It made so mad. I wanted to go out there and protect him but I couldn't. I could hear them all growling and that black one whimpering. There was nothing I could do...Then a brown wolf jumped out of what it seemed like nowhere and tackled the man down. She was kicked off by another person. Then it all just stopped. The wolves were released from the harnesses and turned into humans. There were five boys and two girls. The black wolf was a boy and the brown one was a girl. I watched as they all went to their own little parts. Ours seemed to be the only ones closed off. I don't know why though. Maybe they trusted those other wolves more than the others.  
  
The two came in the room. The younger boy with short black hair to his shoulders was about thirteen, wearing a green T-shirt and tight jean shorts. His blue eyes darted at me with anger in his eyes. The girl was my age, fourteen, (A/N- I'm guessing he's fourteen. Not sure) long, dark brown hair to the middle of her back, but her big hazel eyes showed kindness, then I noticed that her clothes were an orange T-shirt with a red fish on it, plus white cargo pants. She and he looked over me.  
  
"Your sitting on my bed," the boy informed me, coldly.  
  
"Oh! Sorry!" I apologized, getting up.  
  
The girl stepped forward "Don't mind him, he's just cranky. Anyway, what's your name, kiddo?"  
  
"Toboe."  
  
"Mind if I call you Toby?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Alright, but...I'll still call you Toby!" she squeaked out. I made a frown with my eyebrows. "What's with the long face? You feeling down or something? And your all bruised up....did they beat you?"  
  
"It looks like it," the boy said. He came over and opened up his red bookbag, I sniffed. I was really tired still from the last couple of days. He pulled out a see through bag that had some ham sandwiches in them. Then he handed one to me, they were the size of my fist, not that big, but I was hungry! "Here. Eat it and be happy."  
  
I asked with my mouth full of ham sandwich "What's your names?"  
  
The girl sat next to me and smiled. She poked my cheek, that bulged from the food in my mouth, and said "Don't talk with your mouth full. It's not polite, you know."  
  
"Sorry," I apologized after I swallowed. The boy sat on the bed across from me, they were only two feet apart at the most. "Names?"  
  
"Tanis," the girl said with smile. I noticed that she was a little taller than me. She saw me staring and she asked "Yes?"  
  
"Oh! Nothing."  
  
"Something wrong?" She asked.  
  
"I said nothing's wrong."  
  
"Tell me?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Tanis, don't drive him crazy on the first day," the boy said. Tanis just opened her blue bookbag and took out her pocky. She handed the boy and I one. "The name is Kuro. Nice to meet you Toboe."  
  
"His name is Toby," Tanis said.  
  
"It's Toboe," I hissed back.  
  
"Riiiiight." She then bit on her pocky.  
  
I could tell that this was going to be one long day.  
  
IIIII (Around ten....Narrator POV)  
  
Young Toboe had been sleeping, snuggled up in his blankets. His head had started hurting once again so Tanis suggested that he sleep. The other two heard a knock on their door so they answered it, saying it was okay to come in, since the door was locked. They had to say that they were decent enough for company and then the person would unlock the door. He unlocked it, the two wolves standing in the doorway. Roi.  
  
"He's sleeping?" He asked.  
  
"Yes," Tanis said, looking over at the young boy. She looked back at Roi. "You want something?"  
  
"Wake him up," the man said to Kuro. The boy just stared up at the man with glaring eyes. He noticed this so he glared back a bit himself. "You have a staring problem?"  
  
"No, I just want to glare you to death," Kuro replied.  
  
Tanis hissed "Kuro. Shutup." Then she turned to Roi with a smile "Can you come back later...? Umm....he's not feeling good."  
  
"No. We have to see how much he can pull."  
  
"But-"  
  
"Do you want me to wake him up?"  
  
The young girl wolf pouted and decided to do as he asked. That man was such a jerk all the time to them wolves and he wouldn't hesitate to hurt any of them either. That's just the way Roi was. He's the only one that Tanis didn't dare to stand up too since Roi happened to be the only one that ever gave her the beating that nearly killed her.  
  
She walked over to Toboe and shook him a little. He just moaned and pulled the blankets cutely over his head, mumbling a name that Tanis didn't understand.  
  
"Toboe...pst! Toboe! Wake up!" Tanis said quietly, shaking him some more. She sighed. "Toby!"  
  
He rubbed his eyes while sitting up. "Don't call me (yawn) Toby."  
  
"Roi's here," she said, looking at the door.  
  
Toboe's eyes widened. No...he didn't want to go with him. He was the one that put him through so much pain. His arm and wrist still hurt so badly from what treatment that he put him through the last time that he mouthed off. Maybe if he was a good boy this time he would be able to survive what he was going to make him do. Hopefully it wasn't anything to bad. Toboe got out of the bed and walked over to Roi. He allowed Kuro and Tanis to tag along. They weren't going to allow him to go alone with this guy since they knew what a mean one he could be. Looking around, Toboe got a good gist of things.  
  
This was the first time Toboe got a good look around. All of this place was metal, and it was huge! Their little house didn't turn out to be the only one either. There was only two allowed to have their own beds, a nine year old girl and an eleven year old boy. It had many boxes lined up along the wide walls. Five other guys, not including Fujii or Roi, just wandering about the warehouse. Toboe was led to a sled with Roi while Fujii kept an eye on Tanis and Kuro. Obviously, they knew what was going to happen, and it wasn't good because they weren't happy about him doing whatever they wanted him too. It made the pup all the more nervous of what was coming. There was a harness connected to the sled. Now he got the idea. He was going to be checked if how much he could carry on his own. In his condition...not much.  
  
"Turn into a wolf," the man orderd, taking a whip from another man that just handed it to him. He whipped it near Toboe's feet, the boy jumped. "Now."  
  
Toboe turned into his beautiful brown wolf form. He was ordered to let him harness him. When he was all set, the men started stacking boxes. Toboe didn't even consider running with this on him. The only exit was a garage like door and it was closed. He looked up at Roi who ordered some more boxes.  
  
"Okay, twenty boxes, that's eighty pounds. Pull it three inches, pup," he ordered once again.  
  
Easily, without even struggling, it surprised even Toboe, he pulled it. (That wasn't so bad!) Toboe thought to himself. Then, when there were ten more boxes put on, that was a struggle. His muscles started screaming at them. (I jinxed myself...didn't I?)  
  
"Oh, don't tell me that you've already given up!" Roi teased Toboe as he tried to pull one hundred pounds. He might be strong, but not that strong. Especially bruised and battered. "You should be able to do more than this. Though, I did hurt you pretty bad, but, that's not my problem. Now try again!"  
  
He whipped it at Toboe's paw and he pulled back. He tried once again, no good.  
  
"Again!" He ordered, whipping near Toboe's back feet.  
  
After many of tries, Toboe wanted to just give up. He started panting for breath. His tongue hanging out. This time, Roi shouted for another try and whipped Toboe's back. The boy howled at the searing pain.  
  
He pulled it a few more inches but had to lay down. He gasped for air as his lungs couldn't expand far enough. Toboe felt like he was going to pass out at any moment from trying to hard. The whip last on his back only began to burn badly. He looked up at Roi who was threatening to whip him again. Toboe just looked away.  
  
"Look at me you little freak show!" shouted Roi, whipping the wolf cub on the back once again. He only whimpered this time, then started growling. "Oooohhh...think your scary? Well, you don't scare me."  
  
He whipped Toboe once again, just hitting his front left paw. Tanis shouted "Stop it! He's tired!"  
  
"Don't talk to me," Roi snapped back.  
  
"He's new. Give him a break? Please?" begged Tanis, her hazel eyes showing only concern for Toboe. Toboe stopped licking his paw and looked up at her. Was she trying to....protect him? "I'll do extra work. I can take it! And if I don't do as good as expected I'll get five lashes. Is that good enough?"  
  
Roi contemplated for a moment. "Hmmm..."  
  
"Tanis! What the hell are you doing?!" Kuro said angrily. "You were already whipped twice today because you took it for other people! You can't keep doing this. It's not good for you."  
  
"Okay. You can do it for him," said Roi with an evil smirk. He un-did the harness and let Toboe change into human form. The boy ran over to Tanis for protection and comfort. She let him stand behind him, she seemed to run the pack around this place, because she acted like it. And she had to be the oldest one here. "But it won't be easy. So get a good day's rest because tonight it's cross country."  
  
IIIII (The hut? Umm...Where Toboe is staying with Tanis and Kuro Narrator POV)  
  
Toboe had taken off his shirt, letting Tanis sew the lash holes shut, and was letting Kuro treat his wounds on his back first. The whip lashes hurt, burned, then freezes as he cleaned them out with spring water. He said that he was basically the doctor around here. If someone got sick he would help them. Wolf or not. Said that he didn't want to be here but they fed them, clothed them, took care of them, and only beat them or whipped them when they weren't doing their best. They admitted that they hated it but he said that his whole family was killed for their fur.  
  
When Kuro started to put an antibiotic cream into the lashes. Kuro had said that it would make it heal faster than it usually would on it's own. Plus that Toboe wanted to be in tip top shape every day because they never got a day off. And that he should really be more careful to watch where the whip was going. To dodge it better or he would be killed. It stung and he gasped but it was just a reaction to the coldness on it. Well, part cold, and part pain. But mostly pain. Toboe didn't mind the horrible pain, all that much, but when he pressed to hard into one of the lashes on his back he had to say something.  
  
"Ouch! Ouch!" Toboe shouted. "Don't press so hard!"  
  
"Hold still," ordered Kuro as he wiped some more into there. "Do you have any family? Toboe?"  
  
"Well..." Toboe thought for a moment. His thoughts flashed Tsume's, then Kiba's, then Hige's faces through his mind. "Yeah. I have three older brothers. But my favorite is Tsume."  
  
"Cool," Kuro told him. He sighed as he finished with the cream, then proceeded to patch it up. "I had an older brother too. He was the one that saved me from being killed. Unfortunately, he didn't survive."  
  
"What was he like?" Toboe asked as he turned to Kuro to let him treat his hand.  
  
"His name was Ayakato and he was amazing. He was a beautiful brown wolf with thick fur. He was fast, smart, cool, and fun," Kuro sighed after he finished. He took Toboe's hand and then looked at his face. "He looked, well, I think so...yeah..from what I can remember of him he...sort of looked just like you. Only, not as girly looking."  
  
"Girly?!" Toboe snapped at his new found friend. "What do you mean 'girly'?"  
  
"Exactly what he said," Tanis added, sitting on the bed to the right of them. She handed him his shirt when Kuro began to treat his hand. "A pretty boy."  
  
"Hey, Tanis, can I ask you something?"  
  
"Sure. Shoot."  
  
"Why did you do that for me back there? I mean, you didn't have to. But you did."  
  
"We're all friends here!" Tanis said happily. She stood up and smiled at him. "Besides, I'm the oldest, it's my responsibility to take care of you all. If I don't, who will?"  
  
Toboe smiled. It was nice to know he had two friends here.  
  
Then Toboe thought for a moment. But she couldn't be older than him! "Wait, you have to be atleast my age, right? You can't be older than me."  
  
"I'm fourteen."  
  
"Me too," Toboe said, proving his point.  
  
"When were you born?"  
  
"September second." (A/N: I'm guessing on this one too!)  
  
"Ha! I was born on July 30th! Besides, I'm taller than you," she said proudly. "Anyway, I should try to get to sleep. I do have to do that cross country thing. Night, you two."  
  
She laid down in her bed and cuddled up. Toboe smiled. Well, now he knew atleast one thing, that he wasn't leaving without these two by his side. Or any of the other wolves. He was dead determined to get these other kids out of here. It's not good for them to work at such a young age. To tell the truth, Toboe didn't want to do it either. His train of thought was broken by Kuro putting the cold creme on him and it stung.  
  
"Owww! That really hurt! Are you trying to hurt me or something?" Toboe asked, pouting. Kuro didn't say anything, he just sighed. He guessed that Kuro really wasn't the talkative type. He didn't seem like it. "Thanks."  
  
"Your welcome Ayakato," Kuro said. When he looked up at Toboe who seemed to be shocked, and he realized what he called him, he said "I'm soooo sorry! I didn't mean to call you-"  
  
"It's okay," Toboe said. He smiled. "I consider it a complement."  
  
"Thanks..."  
  
"What are you thanking me for?"  
  
"For bringing back the memories of Ayakato and I. Thank you so much for that. And if you need anything, just say the word," said the black wolf with a wink. Toboe nodded. "Oh, and guess what?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"You aren't girly. You're a tough kid, just like he was."  
  
IIIII  
  
Please review! Please? I'm trying hard! Should I continue? Or should I stop? Are the chapters to long??? Please do review. If anyone's wondering, NO, Toboe is not going to be in a relationship with Tanis.  
  
Oh, and I want you to know that Tanis is a special appearance by my fantastic friend MalletWeilderofDoom (read her fics. Really, really good!) or, as I call her, My Kate-Kate. She's like that in real life too. ;; It's a good thing, really. I luvv you my Kate-Kate! 


	3. Pain won't stop

Author's note: Thank you for the reviews! :) All of them mean something to me. Don't forget to review either! Anyway, onto the part that you actually are interested in, the next chapter! Mwhahahhahahha...ha...ha? Forget it. :):):)  
  
IIIII (Around four now.....Toboe POV)  
  
Maybe I couldn't get out of here. Maybe I was stuck here, grow up to be hopeless just like Kuro and Tanis seemed to be. Even if Tanis acted happy it was still an act and I can see right through her happiness. She's hurting on the inside but refuses to show for it. I guess it's because she is the oldest and feels that she has to protect the rest of the wolves. I looked to my right to see Kuro still up, reading a book, and Tanis was sleeping. As for me I was laying in my bed. Snuggled up in the warmness of the blanket while trying to forget that the bed felt like a rock, and that the pillow seemed as hard as metal. Kuro had given me some pencils and paper to draw with if I felt like it, though, when you feel that you life is crap right now, you aren't really in the mood to draw.  
  
If I'm angsting than sue me. I don't want to be here. How could anybody stuck in this warehouse like life here? They probably just figured since they had no family that this was the best place to just hide from the rest of the world. Thinking they won't be accepted. But there are nice people out there. People that will look over you like your their little brother or something. Like....Now I want Tsume, Kiba, and Hige. To be out there, running freely, doing mostly whatever I pleased. Were they looking for me? Maybe Kiba was. I'm not really sure how he feels about me. Probably thinks I'm a weakling. Just like Tsume does. But I still do look up to Tsume. He's just...so...so cool. What I want to be when I grow up to be an adult wolf, since he's able to take care of himself, get food for himself, with little help from anybody. As for Hige, I don't think that it's likely. Knowing him, he's probably trying to go find something to eat, or hitting on some woman.  
  
Though, they care about me. I think. I mean, we've traveled for so long together, so they have to have some sort of feelings for me. My feelings are...that we're a family. Hige the playful older brother. Kiba the serious dad. I don't think that I would ever even want to think of Tsume as a mom because he would like that much so I'll just say my cold but soft on the inside older brother. That's my family. The only other family I ever had was Granny. I miss her too. She was so nice to me. I look at the bracelets that she had given to me. Granny had always told me that when she passed away that she wanted me to wear these in the memory of her. I was more than happy to.  
  
Granny had also told me to find some nice people to stay with. I have found them. But now I've lost them. What am I supposed to do Granny? Is there anything that I can do? I'm just so confused I can barely tell the ceiling from the floor. I sit up and bring my knees to my chest, then let soundless tears run down my face.  
  
Kuro looked from his book over to me. He asked "Toboe-kun? Are you crying? Toboe-kun? It's okay...don't worry about it. Okay?"  
  
I replied, wiping the tears away "I-I'm alright."  
  
"Doesn't seem like it," said a familiar female voice. Toboe and Kuro jumped as they saw Tanis at the end of Toboe's bed. She jumped on it and asked, scratching her head confused like "Is something on my face? Your staring at me."  
  
"Of course I am! I thought you were sleeping!" I snapped. She scared the living crap out of me! "Usually people that are sleeping keep on sleeping!"  
  
"I agree," Kuro said, clutching his chest. "I felt like I was going to die of a heart attack. Don't ever do that again!"  
  
Tanis played with her hair, twirling it into her finger while saying "Well, I woke up, how am I suppose to ignore a crying Toby-chan?"  
  
"How did you...?"  
  
"I have super sensitive ears," replied Tanis. She then asked "Is something wrong, Toby-chan?"  
  
That name! I hated it! "Don't call me Toby-chan!" I said.  
  
"Awwww....don't be such a spoiled sport! It's just a nickname. It's not going to kill you, is it?" the girl wolf asked. I shook my head at the question. "Didn't think so, besides....What's the fun in it if I don't have a nickname for you? I have a nickname for everyone around here. So you have to have one too! now, tell me what's wrong?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Tell me?"  
  
"I said no." Good God. She could be annoying! "Just leave me alone."  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"No, darnit, I said no!"  
  
"Tell me?"  
  
"Tanis-san, if he doesn't want to tell you, than he doesn't want to tell you. Everyone here can't like you enough to tell you their problems," Kuro said. I considered what he said for a moment. It's not like I didn't trust her or anything, because I do, but it's to painful to talk about Tsume, Kiba, and Hige. I miss them a lot. "It's probably because he misses his pack. You know that's in a lot of cases, anyway, so don't push it. Don't you remember Everen-kun?"  
  
Her eyes turned ice cold at Kuro. I never thought that I would see such a look from Tanis, not the happiest girl that I ever met. She growled out "I told you never to mention that name ever again."  
  
Kuro just went back to reading his book. He quickly added "Anyway, that's probably the case here. So I only suggest that you leave him alone until he feels like he can tell you."  
  
"Umm..." I interrupted their arguement. "I don't know who your talking about but it's not that I don't want to say. It's just...well..."  
  
"You miss them?" Kuro and Tanis asked at the same time.  
  
"Y-Yes," I said, sobbing.  
  
They rushed to my side and started saying stuff like "Don't cry!" or "It's okay, Toby-chan!" (Guess who that was --)  
  
My head lowered down. Some tears trickled down my cheeks as I tried to hold it all inside. My back hurt. My hand hurt. I was mentally worn out. Physically, I still had some more power in me, but my brain kept on telling me that there was no hope left to get out of here. My dignity was stripped away. I basically had no power around here. I was only useful if I would work. What if I couldn't? What if I was to hurt to do anything and they decided that my time was up because I was unable to haul loads of whatever was in those boxes. Probably illegal stuff. I wasn't sure. All I wanted was to be out of here. I didn't want to be whipped or pull those heavy loads. None of them here wanted to. Tanis may act happy but I know that she's just covering it up so everyone else doesn't feel discouraged. Kuro...showed that he was depressed, and didn't want to be here, but went along with it. Maybe I should try and accept the fact that for now that...I'm stuck here.  
  
IIIII (Thirty minutes later...Toboe POV still)  
  
I sighed as I had to lay on my stomach in my bed. It hurt to much to lay on my back. The lashes burned even after Kuro had cleaned them out. My mind trailed off into many of thoughts. Wondering if the others were okay. If they were trying to find me or not. If they even cared. What if they didn't? I was just didn't know what to think anymore. Then I heard, all of a sudden, Tanis singing the most annoying song in the world.  
  
"I know a song that gets on everybody's nerves, everybody's nerves, everybody's nerves! I know a song that gets on everybody's nerves and this is how it goes. I know a song that get's on everybody's nerves, everybody's nerves, everybody's nerves. I know a song that gets on everybody's nerves and this is how it goes. I know-" She went on and one and on.  
  
I said in a loud tone, disturbing Kuro from his reading and making Tanis stop her 'singing'. "Do you have to sing that, Tanis-kun?"  
  
"Awww....am I...disturbing you?" she asked, looking over to me.  
  
I sighed out "Yes."  
  
"I have to sing it. This is my good night song," she replied.  
  
"But why?! It's never ends!"  
  
"Exactly."  
  
Kuro said in a no tone "Get used to it. She does it almost every single time that she goes to sleep."  
  
"I know a song that gets on-" Tanis starting singing again. It was driving me nuts!  
  
"Stop it, please?" I begged with her.  
  
She only continued.  
  
I decided to stop playing nice. I snapped at her "If you don't stop now I'll bite you on the leg."  
  
Tanis did a fake gasp and said sarcatic like "Aw, Toby-chan! You wouldn't dare!"  
  
"Yes I would."  
  
"You know you love me."  
  
"Both of you, shutup, I'm trying to read," growled Kuro. He shook his head a little as Tanis kept humming the tune it to herself, even if I could still hear the rythym tone from my highly sensitive ears. "She's sleeping. Good. I need to talk to you, Toboe-kun."  
  
"Yeah?" I looked over at him.  
  
He looked at me, all serious like. He asked "Do you honestly think that Tanis-san can handle the cross country? Have you seen the scars, the lashes, the everything?"  
  
"Ummm....no....." I replied.  
  
"She's been doing this ever since she lost her little sister, and that was five years ago. Tanis-san and her got seperated. She's never really forgiven herself for it," Kuro informed me. It made me feel so sorry for her. She seemed so happy... "That's only half of it. Over the years she's been taking the abuse for all of the kids around her. Saying it would make up for her sin of letting her sister be lost from her. I'm not really sure. I'm just worried that the wounds from the last couple of days will get to her in the cross country that'll take all night to get to the town."  
  
I suddenly felt guilty. Maybe I should go instead of her. She already seems like she's been through enough here. I'm not really sure....but Kuro seems to really care about her.  
  
Kuro continued on with his story. "I don't mean to make you feel bad, Toboe-kun. That's the last thing I want to do. It's, well, just that Tanis- san has helped me so many times that I want to do something for her. Ya' know? But I wouldn't be able to survive that run. Not that I'm not weak or anything."  
  
"Then...why?"  
  
He seemed hesitant for a moment. He held out his wrists that had scars on them. I'm surprised that I hadn't seen them before. They looked like they had really hurt. I looked up at him for an explanation. Did he...?  
  
"This is why. Roi tried to kill me and I'm scared around him. And he's the one ordering the run," he sighed out. "Otherwise I would do it."  
  
"Why did he do that?!" I asked, angrily. But my anger was at Roi, not him. How could he do such a thing to Kuro?!  
  
"He got angry and took it out on me. Luckily he didn't cut deep enough so I would actually die. I don't know why, probably to see my struggle, 'cause I am not strong at all. But..." he looked away from me with his eyes staring coldly at the floor "Sometimes I wish that he would have killed me, then, atleast, I would be able to see Ayakato again."  
  
That wasn't right. I knew that Ayakato, if he wasn't anything like me in the heart, would want Kuro to stay here. One day they would get out of this place. All of us wolves would rise and go against them. Actually, that's what we should do. But...I'm no leader. I can't do that much. I'm just...Toboe. Though, if I wanted to get out, and take these guys with me, all of them; so I'd have to try and be tough as Tsume.  
  
And the first step was gaining their trust. Show them that I was strong. Even if I didn't want to I would have to do that cross country thing tonight. I would have to atleast try.  
  
"Don't say that!" I ordered, knowing that there was only one way to get it across. Being forceful, not really like me, but I would atleast try it. But if Tsume could be forceful to make you realize something than I could too. Right? I took his hand into mine and showed him his own scar. "You see that? These scars on your wrist prove that you are a survivor. That's a sign of how tough you are. You survived through that. You can get through anything else too."  
  
He looked up at me, with tears in his eyes. I added "And do you honestly think that Ayakato-san would have wanted his little brother to die? I didn't know him but I know that he wouldn't want you to."  
  
The boy just threw himself on me and started crying. I sat up and he wrapped his arms around my neck, crying into my shoulder. I guess that I spoke the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. Sometimes being forceful could be used for good. For now I guess that this was what it's like to play the big brother like my pack/family has done for me. I rubbed his back, telling him it's okay. That everything will be fine in the end.  
  
When he calmed down he blushed and stepped over to his bed. He sat down and said "I-I-I'm sorry. I tend to get a little over emotional. I didn't mean to tackle you. Are you okay?"  
  
I sat up with a smile. "I'm fine and it's okay. But...why were you crying?"  
  
"I'm just so happy!" Kuro replied, actually with a smile on his face. "Thank you so much. Really! Thank you so much Toboe-san!"  
  
"No problem. Although I'm not quite sure why I'm being thanked....And you don't have to call me 'san'...'kun' is fine..."  
  
"It seems like Ayakato is right by my side again. And I'm calling you san because I want too! So deal with it."  
  
I turned a bit red. I never really got looked up to before, I've always been the one to look up to other people. It felt good for once.  
  
Listening the whole entire time, without them knowing, Tanis smiled. She could sense Kuro's first smile in a long time. She thought to herself (Oh, Toby-chan, your the first one to put a smile on Kuro-kun's face in a long time. Thank you. It's nice to know that someone can make him happy)  
  
IIIII (Hige POV) (A/N: I'm not to good at Hige, so this might not be in full character, so it might seem a bit out of character. Sorry. ;;; Tell me if I do a good job or bad job in your review. Plz?)  
  
Well, good thing to say that my arm was doing a lot better by now. It's late at night and we've just got done eating an antelope that had somehow died out here in the grass. It was good to finally be able to have a full stomach for once without worrying about not having enough for all of us. Without Toboe....it made me a bit sad just thinking about him so I took another chunk of meat in my face. I began to wonder how Toboe was doing. If he was getting enough to eat. Though, I'll have to admit, it's not the same without the runt annoying us all. Okay. Okay. Annoying really isn't the word I'm looking for but he would have snuggled up cutely next to Tsume like he always does and fallen asleep. I think Tsume misses him a lot. Well, of course he does.  
  
Those two really had a brotherly relationship. I feel really sorry for him. The mood has died down to only a few simple words of thanks and welcomes. Without Toboe to start a conversation it seemed kind of boring. I mean, I could come up with something nice to talk about, but the two negativity boats would drag me down and I'd get depressed about Toboe. Not to say that I'm not depressed. In my own little way I am. I keep on worrying about him. If they're treating him well. If they aren't, when we get there, I'll beat them until no return.  
  
Which reminds me back to my hand. I look at it. It had bleeded a fair amount of blood onto the grass. Atleast it didn't pound in pain anymore. It's more like an annoying itch. I'll be able to run on it for sure tonight. Which is less than I can say for Tsume. His leg is still hurting like hell, you could tell by the way he couldn't sit still for a single second. He kept on changing his position. His side really wasn't all that bad, more like a deep scratch that wasn't all that bad. As for Kiba...he seemed to be the less hurt of all three of us even though he got beaten really badly. He kept reassuring me that he had no broken bones but the way he was holding his stomach made me wonder if he was trying to stay tough since he was the leader or if he was telling me the truth. Tsume didn't really care all that much about us. He just breathed heavily through his teeth as another wave of enormous pain hit his leg. And then I rememberd that no one had taken out the bullet. Of course it still hurt. But...it seemed to be jammed in there really good.  
  
I looked at his leg, the gun shot was right above his knee, he sneered at me "What the hell are you looking at, chubby?!"  
  
"First of all, I'm staring at your leg. Not in a perverted way but because the bullet's still in there. We need to take it out," I said. Then I shouted "And I'm not chubby, you sadistic human-hater."  
  
"You dislike humans as much as I do," He replied, leaning back on the grass with his hands put behind his head. I just laid on my side, letting him ramble on. Most of it that I heard was 'blah, blah, blah' "And you know it too. We all dislike humans, all been shunned by humans, and I don't know how Toboe can still treat humans the way he does. He's not really afraid of them. I don't understand him! Why doesn't he-"  
  
"Because he was raised differently than you," Kiba broke in, sitting next to leather wearing man. "He was raised by a human some of his life. They treated him nicely. So he trusts some of the humans, but not all."  
  
"That's his problem!" Tsume shouted. It made me move a couple inches away from him, I didn't feel like getting hit right now. I watched as he went on with his yelling "He should only trust the wolves! He can be so damn stupid that it's not even funny. I mean, I don't want to see him get hurt so why the hell does he keep on trying to trust them!? Tell me that, Mr. Know It All!"  
  
Kiba replied "I don't want to see him hurt either. But, we can't stop him from believing what he believes in. Maybe it's good that he trusts humans."  
  
"I disagree."  
  
"You can disagree all you want," I joined in "But that isn't helping us find Toboe. And neither of your arguing is going to help either."  
  
"They've probably killed him by now," Tsume said. I frowned at the statement. "You know it could be true."  
  
"And then again, maybe he's alive," our pack leader argued once again. Out of the corner of his eyes he looked at us and asked "Do you think that Toboe would let himself die so easily like that? We never give that boy enough credit so we should start doing that now. Because, if we don't have faith in him, who else will?"  
  
There was silence for a moment. What Kiba said was true. We never gave Toboe enough credit since he was still just a young pup who didn't know very much. He may not be the best hunter, or the fastest, or even the smartest but I think all of us realized a while ago that he's shown us something that he's learned himself. Something that without him would be thrown way out the window. That's why no one is smiling tonight. What Toboe brought to the group was innocence. Sweet, sweet innocence.  
  
And I want that innocence to be un harmed. I want it back in the group because, without him around, this pack seems lifeless.  
  
IIIII (Tsume POV)  
  
As much as I don't want to believe it maybe they have killed Toboe already. Not that I'm trying to bring everyone down on their high hopes but I'm only stating the harsh things that could become truth. In his own little way he found himself attracted towards me. Followed me around. Even if I say it's annoying, and sometimes it really is, it's alright by me. Because now it feels lonely without him curled up by me or bugging me or asking us all questions. How would I know that I would get so attached to him to think of him as a younger brother? He's a nice kid. Trusting. The exact opposite of what I am. And still he looks up to me. Told me once that when he grows up that he wants to become just like I am now. Kid...you don't want to be like me. You never want to become like this Tsume person that is not proud of what he has done. But I've done it all in the will to survive.  
  
If he is alive, I want him to hold on. It might be hard Toboe but we will get there. And if any of them have touched one hair on you I will rip their hearts out. I promise.  
  
Kiba broke my train of thought and said "Let's get going."  
  
Us three changed into wolf forms, sniffed around for the scent of that man, and started chasing it.  
  
IIIII (Narrator POV)  
  
There was a knock on the door of where Toboe and his two friends were sleeping. It woke up the young pup. He glanced over to his pals, to see if they were okay, both of them were sleeping, he told them it was okay to come in. So, in comes Fujii. The slender man looked around the barely litted room since the only light that came through was the window on Toboe's side.  
  
"Wake up Tanis," ordered Fujii to Toboe.  
  
Toboe gave him an evil glare but did as he was told. He tip toed over to Tanis so he wouldn't wake up Kuro. He started to shake the girl, saying "Tanis-kun, Tanis-kun. Wake up! Tanis-kun!"  
  
"Time already?" asked Tanis, sitting up. She rubbed her eyes. "Oh, hi Fujii-san. Are we all ready to go?"  
  
"Yes, it is all set up," he replied.  
  
"Okay then! Well, I'll see you later Toby-chan. Tell Kuro-kun that I'll be back too," Tanis said, jumping out of bed. Toboe wanted to say right there that he wanted to go instead of her but he was shaking out of fright. He didn't want to. But...he had too. There are many things you don't want to do in life but you hold strong and do them anyway. Tanis noticed, even in the dark, his obvious shaking "Are you okay?"  
  
"I..." Toboe couldn't get it out. He thought to himself (Come on, say it! You'll regret it for the rest of your life if you don't say it now)  
  
Fujii and Tanis looked at Toboe for a while. Waiting for him to say something but he couldn't get it out.  
  
"Kid, you got something to say, say it. I don't have time to stand around and hear you stutter," Fujii shouted at him. The boy flinched at his shouting.  
  
Tanis put a hand on his shoulder. She knew what was wrong now. "Don't worry about me. I'll be fine. If I didn't want to do this for you than I wouldn't do it, now would I?"  
  
"But what about-"  
  
"My wounds? I'll deal with it. They don't bother me anymore, really. Kuro-kun just likes to worry about everyone because he doesn't want to see anyone die. But I'm tough! I will hang in there! I will-"  
  
"You will shutup," Kuro broke in. He sat up "You woke up up."  
  
"You all better say your goodbye's because Roi's ready to go," said Fujii as he left the door open for Tanis, he stood outside, ready to lock it when she came out. He added "We don't have time for any of the sappy crap either."  
  
There was only silence for a moment. Tanis seemed dead determined to do this but Toboe couldn't tell if she was lying about her wounds or if she was completely honest about it. He wondered for a minute. She seemed to be fine. But usually people who acted this happy in a place like this were either hurting physically or emotionally. And if Toboe had to guess about these two, Kuro was hurting emotionally and Tanis was hurting both ways. The young pup sighed as Tanis gave him a hug in reasurrance.  
  
"It's okay," Tanis said, rubbing his back. "I'll be back. You'll see."  
  
"Please be careful," begged Toboe with her. Some tears fell down his cheek as he added "I'm just not strong enough. I can't do it. I can't do it for you. I-I'm so sorry."  
  
Tanis let him go and put her finger on his forehead "You are doing fine. Now, I want you to think with your brain that's inside here, and answer this simple question. Do you think that your friends would be happy if they knew I didn't do this for you?"  
  
"Ummm..."  
  
"The answer is no. They wouldn't be happy," Tanis replied. She removed her finger from his forehead than started to skip around while singing "Don't worry, be happy! Don't worry be happy!"  
  
Toboe and Kuro chuckled to themselves. She waved goodbye and went out the door.  
  
"Be safe! Good bye!" Kuro told her.  
  
"Bye!" added Toboe with a smile. She always seemed to cheer up the mood.  
  
"It's not goodbye, it's see you later!" she said as the door closed.  
  
Toboe took a deep breath and sat back down on his bed. He looked over at Kuro who seemed a little dissapointed. He really hoped that he wasn't mad at him because he didn't make Tanis stay behind.  
  
And like he was reading his mind, Kuro said "No, I'm not mad."  
  
"You...aren't?"  
  
"No. Why should I be? If Tanis-san wants to do this then let it be that way. She seems to be energized enough. She may not be the fastest runner but she's definitely strong in the legs, so she'll probably do good anyway."  
  
The brown eyed pup just smiled at Kuro. "Yeah. Tanis-kun will be fine."  
  
IIIII  
  
I'm sorry if it's to short. T.T Did I make it to short? I'm sorry if I did! And if this chapter bored you to tears I'm also sorry. But...if there's something you don't like about any of the chapters or my stories you can put it in your review! Flames are welcome. Sort of. I think. Anyway, you all seem to want Toboe, so here he is!  
  
(Throws Toboe in the middle of the fangirls and he gets mauled)  
  
Ouch. Oooohhh...that's going to leave a mark. Hey! You! No pulling on hair!  
  
Anyway, review! 


	4. Pain in the body and mind

A/N: Well, for some strange reason, everyone seems to like this ficcie of mine. ;; Weird....anyway here is another chapter for your liking. Hope you do like it. Review please.  
  
Oh, and someone got upset because Toboe-chan chickened out. Umm...he probably wouldn't survive it to tell the truth. He's so tiny and not all that strong yet. Anyway, you'll find out why in this chapter why I didn't make him go. It'll be obvious when you start reading. Ja ne.  
  
IIIII (Kiba POV)  
  
Though my body ached, my heart ached more and more as I thought of the possibilities of what Toboe was going through as we ran across the rocky and sandy path. My paws began to throb because of pebbles digging into my pads. But that would only be an itch to what Toboe would be going through. Hopefully nothing to serious happened to him. I'll probably have to hold Hige and Tsume back from killing those guys that hurt Toboe. As much as I would love to see them dead, knowing Toboe, he won't want to see any more death than he already has. He still is a pup. It's our duty to protect him. I hope that he'll forgive us for not helping him earlier. I'm just worried about him. He's so young...  
  
I look over to see Tsume who has suddenly stopped dead in his tracks. Hige, who had been right behind me, slid into me. We both fell down onto the rocks. Tsume had started sniffing the air. At first I thought he was smelling food. This is no time for food, Tsume! Then I really thought about it and realized that if it had been food it would have been Hige who stopped, not Tsume. Finally, I sniffed the air too, I realized what he was smelling. It was faint, really faint, but it was there.  
  
The scent of Toboe was traveling somewhere nearby. It was coming towards us but the scent stayed faint. Sadly, it couldn't be Toboe, but someone had obviously been near him enough to smell like him.  
  
We just stood there in our human forms, not wanting anyone to see us in our wolf forms, waiting around for whomever was coming our way. We could hear the cries and whines of wolves. One of them was howling into the night. That alerted us right away. The three of us started running towards where the noises were coming from. I begged for Toboe to be there. By some chance, be there, be okay, don't be hurt, be okay Toboe, be okay! Without you this group really is nothing!  
  
Sadly enough, it wasn't him. I was just hoping what was happening in front of me was just a simple illusion. That I didn't really see what was happening. The others were just as pissed off as me. What we saw stopped us in our tracks in shock. Roi, that bastard who had taken Toboe, was whipping another wolf that was lying defenseless on the ground. All of the others were growling, trying to get out of their harnesses to attack them, but he just whipped at them too so none of them had the guts to dare to attack him. Except one. A brown she-wolf. She was the one who had been howling. Probably to get someone to notice them. Well, we were here now, and we won't let him hurt anymore of these wolves. Besides, he'll know where Toboe is. And if he is reluctant to say I know one angry leather wearing man that would be more than happy to make him talk.  
  
"That..." Hige started swearing under his breath.  
  
"He's that ass that took Toboe. I'll tear off his limbs and then rip his heart out nice and slow if he has hurt him," Tsume threatened, his teeth gritted. He was obviously pissed off.  
  
Hige turned to Tsume. "Your leg. You can't fight with it."  
  
"What about your hand?" he hissed back.  
  
I turned around "You should get the bullet out. Not sure how but you'll find a way. It'll hurt but it'll make it easier to fight without it giving out in the middle of something."  
  
And then I remember, that's right, Hige's hand was still hurt and Tsume couldn't really do all that much with his leg like that. It must be really hurting with all of the running he was doing. The bullet was still inside. If he wanted to be of any help he would have to get it out like Hige bit his out.  
  
"You two, stay here, I'll stop this," I said, turning into a wolf. I didn't even wait for their reply and I started running at the wolves.  
  
IIIII (Toboe POV)  
  
Even if it was late at night I couldn't go to sleep. No matter how hard I tried. My mind wondered off into other thoughts. Like, how the others were. If I really should have went instead of Tanis, I mean, I would have gotten it out, but she seemed so determined to do that herself. I'm not so sure anymore. My mind is abused right now. Confused until no end. My body was crying out at me for it to be treated properly. Kuro did a decent job but my body hated itself. I felt like my skin was going to be ripped apart so I didn't dare move for if I did my back pain would double by a hundred. Why couldn't I be more strong? Why couldn't I be more like Tsume?  
  
I looked over to Kuro who's awoken up. It's midnight and he went back to bed at seven. Good. Atleast someone's getting sleep. I'm loosing sleep because my head won't turn off, it keeps on worrying itself. I'm so scared. I'm hungry but I'm afraid to eat because I'll throw it up. Though, I am doing my best to be brave, atleast I haven't done anything stupid to get out. I know that they'll come for me. Then I'll get my revenge. I'll get all of these baby wolves out of here. Then my family and pack will be together once again. But...where will everyone go? What about Kuro? He doesn't have any family. Tanis has an imouto but she has no clue where she is. If she's alive or not. If I had a family member I would look for them too, but Tanis, she probably couldn't survive out there on her own. Niether could Kuro.  
  
Kuro asked me, all of a sudden, "Toboe? You look pretty pale in the face. Are you feeling okay?"  
  
"I-I'm okay," I lied. I didn't want to seem like more of a whimp than I already put on. It's pathetic. This is so embarrassing, unable to move, stuck on my stomach. He frowned his eyebrows while giving me that look of 'I know your lying'. "Kuro....it's just that...."  
  
"You feel guilty?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"And you want to see your pack again?"  
  
"Sure enough."  
  
"And your in pain. Aren't you?"  
  
"How could you tell?" I asked as he towered over me. He sat me up, I crunched in pain as my back screamed in agony. The lashes burned so badly that I wanted to lay back down but he wouldn't let me. "Please...let me lay back down...please...owww..."  
  
"I know, it hurts, but be patient. I'll put peroxide on it. That'll kill all of the germs that are in your wounds," Kuro explained as he took it out of his back. I began to take off my shirt slowly so the fabric wouldn't touch my sore back. "Toboe-kun? I want you to be quiet. I'll be truthful, this will hurt, a lot. But you can't yell. Okay? Fujii-san will here you and come in here. If he finds out that I'm treating your wounds without permission he'll hurt us both."  
  
I nodded and prepared myself for it. I thought to myself (I won't be afraid. I won't be afraid. I won't be afraid. I'm not going to yell. It's okay, Toboe, it's okay)  
  
The pain hit like your flesh really was being ripped off of your skin. I clenched my teeth and tried not to cry out in pain. It was all at once, he said that was the only way to get it all out, it seemed like it would never end to me. But actually it was only a minute and thirty seconds. I sighed as it began to dull down. He rubbed my back with a towel.  
  
"A fine job, Toboe-kun," Kuro congratulated me. I smirked at him slightly. "I'm sorry about trying to give you a guilt trip earlier. I knew that Tanis-san would want to go no matter what. We could tie that girl down and she would still manage a way to go. That's just the way she is."  
  
"Yeah..."  
  
"What's your pack like?"  
  
"Hmmm..." I thought to myself. What to describe them like. I never really thought about it all that much. "Well, there's Kiba. He's the serious one. The leader. He always knows what to do, how to do it, and he's the one that's leading us to find paradise."  
  
"What's paradise?" asked Kuro, cluelessly.  
  
I was shocked. "Are you serious, Kuro-chan? I thought every wolf knew what paradise was."  
  
"No. I don't."  
  
"It's supposed to an amazing place! With flowers as far as the eye can see. Where everything's perfect. That's what I imagined it to be like. My Granny would be there. Everyone that I love and care about would also come along with me. That would include everyone here of course."  
  
"Cool!"  
  
Then I continued on with my descriptions. "Hige's the one who's always hungry or chasing after girls. He's the playful older brother type."  
  
"Sounds like Ayakato."  
  
"My favorite though is Tsume! He's so cool! He's tough, rough, and kicks butt. He's really not all that chatty, likes to keep his distance, but I think that with us he's growing out of it, little by little. I'm not really all that sure why but he seems to not like Kiba or Hige all that much but sticks around. I hope that he does. They're like my family. Really, the only family that I've ever had."  
  
I just sighed. And I want that family back...  
  
IIIII (Narrator POV)  
  
The white wolf dashed gracefully at Roi whom, by stupidity, had just stood their in pure fear. He didn't have much time to move when Kiba bit him in the arm, making him drop the whip. Roi hit Kiba down to the ground but the white wolf wouldn't be hurt that easily. He sprung up and aimed for his jugular. This way, Toboe would never be hurt again. But he just bit him on the shoulder thinking that would suffice in enough pain. The man cried out and fell to the ground, blood dripping from his bite wounds.  
  
Meanwhile, Hige and Tsume had let all of the wolves out of the harnesses. Most of them ran free. Freedom. That's what they wanted all along and they weren't going to give it up now. But they wouldn't let that one that smelled most like Toboe leave because she would lead them to him. Tanis felt the same way. It was faint but she could also smell the Toboe on them. This had to be his family/pack. They seemed to be able to smell the Toboe on her too. She turned into her human form and immediately went over to Roi and looked over his wounds. She took out some bandages from the box of which hung over the side of the sled and started treating his bites.  
  
The others raised eyebrows at this. Why was she trying to help him? Wasn't this the guy who hurt them and her friends so many times before?"  
  
Kiba transformed and asked "What are you doing?"  
  
"I'm helping him," she replied.  
  
The three closed in. Tsume continued with the questions "Lets put it this way. WHY are you helping him? Isn't he the one that hurt all of you?"  
  
"Yes," she nodded.  
  
"Then why help him?!" the wolf shouted.  
  
"Because, even if we killed him, it wouldn't bring back Everen-san back to us," she explained. Tanis just wrapped his bites, making sure that none of them were bleeding excessively. "My best friend Everen-san was killed in this pack by those bastards. But I know that she wouldn't want me to kill them just to avenge her. No one has the right to decided who lives and who dies."  
  
"Riiiiighhhttt..." Hige said, scratching his head in confusion.  
  
"Anyway, you have to know Toboe," Kiba came in to the important stuff. "Where is he?"  
  
"Then it is true! You are his pack! Good, good!" Tanis jumped around for joy. She shook their hands saying "Hi, I'm Tanis, a recovering sugar- holic. But nevermind my hyperness! Let's just get out of here and go save Toboe! Alright!"  
  
All of them were stunned by her sudden change of moods.  
  
Hige asked to Tsume "Do you think she's mentally unstable? Toboe does have a way of finding these weirdoes."  
  
"What? You calling us weirdoes now?" Tsume questioned.  
  
"No, just you."  
  
"The faster we run the faster we get there. Toboe needs you guys right now. So lets get going!" Tanis announced, pointing to the way of which she had came from.  
  
Wanting to see Toboe, all of them changed into wolf form and ran along the path. Hopefully Toboe would be okay. Be unhurt. Because if he was....it was going to be hell.  
  
IIIII  
  
;;; I'm sorry this is so short. I needed a short chapter though. Ummm...I'm sorry. It sucked, didn't it? Well, review please... T.T Even if you didn't like it.  
  
Oh, now you see why Toboe wasn't supposed to go. Tanis was supposed to meet up with them! If they found Toboe now it would just be to easy. I know, I'm evil to poor little Toboe. (huggles Toboe) (Gets hit by many of fan girls for hugging him) Owwww.... 


	5. Pain all over again

Yay! People's like the story! I'm sooooo happy! Thank you for all of the reviews, they mean a lot to me. And, yes, Tanis-san is very weird but that's just Tanis-san! She wouldn't be Tanis-san if she wasn't weird, ne? Onto the important stuff...ermm....chappy!  
  
IIIII (Toboe POV)  
  
Early in the morning now, well, early for me. Kuro already up and eating. I guess that someone had brought us our breakfast because there was a plate of cod riceballs. Great. Just great. I haven't had meat in days. Why don't they feed us meat?! I mean, cod is a fish, which can count as a meat, but that's not all that good. I never really liked cod. But as my stomach growled angrily at me I guess that I didn't have much of a choice now did I? As I began to eat I saw Kuro just staring at me. Okaaayyy...  
  
"Is something wrong?" I asked, my mouth full of riceball.  
  
"You seem better this morning. How's your back?" asked Kuro, throwing me a pocky box. "Here. You need sugar. You seem really down."  
  
"My back feels a lot better. Thanks," I replied as I began eating the pocky with no thought about saving it for later. I mean, I had practically lost all hope of them coming for me. They aren't coming. They aren't... "Do you know when Tanis-kun will be back?"  
  
"They should be back in a couple of hours."  
  
There was a long silence that loomed over us. I hate these awkward silences...it makes me feel uneasy. Like a really bad is going to happen or something of the sort. I sort of sat there, thinking about nothing. I mean, my back began to get sore, and my hand throbbed but my mind was set on trying to find a way out of here. Fujii never opened the door except for anyone to work. Which made me think about what was going to happen today. I didn't feel like making a fool out of myself today. They know that I can't carry all of that heavy crap.  
  
Maybe...maybe I should just forget about my pack/family. They aren't coming for me. If they were, they would have been here by now! I wish that they would have came for me, I'm hurt and alone and about to have a nervous breakdown. I don't want to be here. I brought my knees to my chest. All the thinking about them wasn't going to bring them to my rescue and especially if they didn't want to rescue me. Thinking about them was just making me more down in the dumps. But it's hard to block them out. They were so nice to me. My first family in a real long time. Since Granny...and I loved them like a family too. Especially Tsume. We had just began to bond and then everything fell apart, nothing can go right for me, can it? Could I ever just ever be happy in my life?  
  
If I were to be happy I think that I would have never been brought here. The Gods must hate me or I wouldn't be in this warehouse. Though, maybe I was taken for a reason, Granny always said that everything happens for a reason. That's when I started thinking about all of the others. I could be here to help them escape. I smirked slightly. Yeah...  
  
"Toboe-kun? Toboe-kun?" I heard my name being called, I looked over to Kuro who was sitting on my bedside. He asked "You okay? You were just staring off into space."  
  
"Oh! Sorry! Sometimes I just do that. Tsume always used to tell me to get my head out of the clouds!" I replied, blushing slightly. I rubbed the back of my neck. There I go again....Tsume... "I didn't mean too. I guess that I'm still tired. Ummm...did you need something?"  
  
"Well..." Kuro looked to the window. I heard an immediate scream of my name. It was Fujii. "I don't know why but Fujii's mad at you. Did you do something in the middle the night when I wasn't looking?"  
  
"Umm....nooo..." there was obvious fear in my voice. Of course I was scared! Why was Fujii mad at me!? What the heck did I do? I was good all night. I had finally went to sleep, did nothing wrong, so if he was mad at me it had to be a set up. And what would he do to me? I felt Kuro grab my hand because I was shaking. "Kuro-kun..."  
  
"Don't worry. It'll be okay. Whatever it is it can't be your fault. You aren't stupid enough to do something wrong."  
  
"Thanks," I smirked at him.  
  
The door slammed open, then closed once again, and a raging Fujii came over to my bed. He pushed Kuro off onto the floor. I, out of instinct, tried to turn into a wolf to bite him but he grabbed the scruff of my neck so it left me defenseless. I turned back into a human and he grabbed a handful of my hair.  
  
"Let go of me!" I shouted.  
  
Kuro added "He didn't do anything!"  
  
"You little shit! I'll kill you!" he shouted at me. "How in the hell did they find out where we are?! How did you signal them!? How!!"  
  
I pulled away, trying to make him let go of my hair but he grabbed my throat. He turned me to him once again and repeated it. I don't know what he's talking about!  
  
Kuro shouted as I gasped for air "Leave him alone! I know that all he's been doing is sleeping all night! He's done nothing-"  
  
Fujii threw me to the cold ground. I lay there, trying to get the air back in my lungs. I heard Kuro scream out my name as he was on the floor being kicked the stomach over and over again. I turned into my wolf form and jumped for an attack.  
  
IIIII (Narrator POV)  
  
The pack had to slow down because of Tsume's leg injury. They had to turn back into humans so Kiba could let Tsume lean on him (as much as he disliked it) Everyone was being so quiet and Tanis couldn't take it anymore. She hated silence!  
  
She had been walking next to Hige so she turned to him. Tanis asked "Your name is Hige, right?"  
  
"Umm...yeah. Your point?" he asked.  
  
"Is it okay that I call you Mr. Whiskers?"  
  
"Mr....Whiskers...?" he repeated.  
  
"Yeah. Did I stutter or something?"  
  
Everyone blinked at her cluelessly. She just gave them the look of 'What did I do?' and then looked at them cutely.  
  
Hige repeated with a sigh "I'll ask again, what's your point?"  
  
"What...did I....offend you?" she asked, sweetly to Hige.  
  
"Be quiet," he ordered as he ruffled her hair, which she really hated, and added "You didn't offend me but your scaring me. And no you can't call me Mr. Whiskers even if my name does mean whiskers(A/N: It really does! )"  
  
"Okay then! I'll call you Mr. Whiskers!" Tanis squeaked.  
  
"But it annoys me."  
  
"That's the whole point."  
  
"Oy Vey..."  
  
"And I'll call Tsume Tsu-Tsu!" she added, coming from behind and jumping onto Hige's back. She hugged him around the neck and said "Mr. Whiskers and Tsu-Tsu!"  
  
Tsume snapped at her "Don't call me that!"  
  
"Awww...but it's cute."  
  
"Men aren't supposed to be cute."  
  
"Riiiiiggghhhttt..." she said.  
  
"And why the hell doesn't Kiba get a nickname!?" Hige argued.  
  
Tanis thought for a moment as she got off of Hige's back. She was quiet for a moment, then said jumping around the group "I don't know why but all I know is that we're getting closer and closer and closer and Toboe will be so happy to see you all! I'm so happy for him too! He thought you guys weren't coming for a while there."  
  
That wasn't right. Toboe should have complete faith in them coming, it struck deep into Tsume's heart. It made him...not angry...more of the word sad. Sad was the word alright. Toboe shouldn't fear that they wouldn't come for him. He should keep on knowing that they would rescue him and let that be source of never giving up. Tsume cursed softly under his breath, more at himself than anyone else, and he couldn't help but be hurt by the comment. Nothing could be farther from the truth. They wanted too. They wouldn't be friends if they didn't.  
  
"But, we'll just surprise him, eh?" Tanis asked, looking at the group of which seemed really down all of a sudden. All of them hurt by the statement. She hit the three softly on the top of their heads saying "We (smack's Hige) just prove Toby-chan (smacks Tsume) wrong won't we (smacks Kiba)?!"  
  
"I still don't want to think that he would actually say that," Tsume said. His yellow eyes glanced down to Tanis. "You wouldn't be making this up, would you?"  
  
"How dare you!" She did a fake gasp and put her hand to her head to dramatize it. "Oh, Tsu-Tsu, how you wound me so!"  
  
"Don't call me Tsu-Tsu!!" shouted Tsume.  
  
"You know you like it."  
  
"No I don't!"  
  
"You know that I'm only kidding!"   
  
"I'm not going to argue with you," Tsume said, leaning off of Kiba. He directed his words towards the leader of the pack "I can walk now."  
  
Kiba wasn't so sure about that. He questioned his friend. "Are you sure about that? I don't think that..."  
  
"Don't contradict me! Let's get going!" ordered the leather wearing wolf as he began to limp forward. His leg did burn but he wasn't going to give up until he found Toboe...there was no way he was going to let Toboe down.  
  
The others just followed close behind. Tanis kicked up some dirt, thinking (Toby-chan...your so lucky to have family like this...)  
  
IIIII (Toboe POV)  
  
I dove in for an attack, which caught Fujii completely off guard. Tearing at his arm I growled at Kuro to run for this was his chance to escape. To be free. The door had to be unlocked. My attack didn't last long since Fujii swung at my back, hitting the lashes head on, and I whined on the floor. Kuro sat there, shaking in fear. I couldn't let him be hurt...I am now the oldest one here...it's my responsibility to do this...I won't wimp out!  
  
Ignoring my over bearing pain, I used all of my strength to attack Fujii in the right shoulder. Sour blood filled my mouth as his screams of pain ringed in my ears. Kuro took this time, not to get out, but to attack the man himself; using his unusually long fangs to bite into his left leg. He practically tore the limb off as he tore his sharp teeth out. All this time, I just clawed into the mans back, still digging deeper into his neck. When he began to fall to the floor I let my prey go and jumped next to Kuro. I hated the taste in my mouth. I hated the taste of that blood...it dripped from my mouth but I wiped it away as I changed back into a human.  
  
Surprisement over took me as Kuro started to clean up the wounds. Even so, I was more surprised no one had came back into the little hut thing to check on what Fujii was screaming about. Anyway, Kuro took out bandages and began to treat his neck.  
  
"What are you doing!?" I asked, kneeling beside the hurt man.  
  
"I'm not going to let someone die. Everen-kun would be mad at us if she knew..." he replied as he wrapped his neck. I raised an eyebrow.  
  
I said "You keep on speaking of this 'Everen-kun' but I don't know who she is? Who is she? And why did Tanis-kun look so mad when you said her mad?"  
  
"Well..." he sighed out. His eyes filled with tears at the memories. I began to guess this Everen had been very special. "She had been the oldest here before Tanis-san. I used to call her Everen-san but she had told her to just call her kun, said it sounded better. That she was just no better than the rest of us. She...she was the nicest one around here. And she never once hurt anybody, she would get hurt herself, but she would always say that no one can decide who lives or dies. She refused to hurt unless needed. Tanis-san and I used to look up to her so much but then...then..."  
  
Tears fell down his face. I began to rub his back, saying "You don't have to continue. It's okay."  
  
"I just-" Kuro began to continue but he started coughing up blood.  
  
"What the-" I asked as I looked down as I realized that there was a knife in his stomach, dug deep within that Fujii just shoved mercilessly. "Kuro-kun! No!"  
  
"I-I'm okay. I'll be fine," Kuro said bravely. It was hard to watch him pull out the knife and then his blood pour out but he refused to let me help him. "I want to go see Ayakato. I want to see my brother. Let me die. Atleast I'll go out knowing that I had you by my side."  
  
He smiled weakly at me. I grabbed the bandages, and I didn't care what he said. I was going to save him. And it's appeared that Fujii's already unconscious after he had stabbed my friend so I didn't worry about him. All my mind was on right now was saving Kuro. He kept telling me not to help but I never minded him and tore off his shirt. The wound was deep but it didn't seem to hit anything big. From what I could. I'm really not sure, I'm not a doctor. I begin to wrap it around his waist and he squirms in pain. Not enough to get away but enough to show that I'm hurting him.  
  
I keep saying my mind...be okay...be okay...please be okay.  
  
"Don't die on me...I need you..." I cry over my friend.  
  
IIIII (Kiba POV)  
  
There's a small warehouse that I can see ahead. Many men are outside, holding guns, watching for something. Shit. They have to know that we're coming. I don't know how but there's a look of shock on Tanis's face as she see's everyone that is out there just seemingly waiting for nothing. I just pray that Toboe is okay. I think that all of us are doing that. In our wolf forms, we look upon them, on the cliff. It would be a long dip down but Tanis said that this would take them by surprise rather than taking them head on. Besides, this was the shorter way.  
  
We turned back into humans and hunched down. They were all armed with guns or bow and arrows. Great. This would be hard to get through. But I will get to Toboe even if I look like Swiss cheese and have arrows sticking out of my body like it's normal for me. I don't want to let him think any longer that we aren't coming for him. Because we're here now.  
  
"So? What do we do now?" asked Hige to no one in particular.  
  
"Er...I think that we should..." Tanis was trying to think. She looked at me "Have any ideas, oh great and fantastic leader?"  
  
"Just charge and try not to get hit," I replied. Really, that's the best that I possibly could come up with. I knew that we were sort of winging it but there was no other way. "You all ready?"  
  
"My leg..." growled Tsume through pursed lips. He turned onto his back and said "Someone. Bite the bullet out."  
  
We all looked at him like he was crazy. There was no way that we could do that without seriously injuring him. It would only make it worse!  
  
"Do it now!" he barked at us.  
  
Hige replied "Stupid! It'll only make it worse!"  
  
"Stupid! Not if someone with small fangs does it!" he hissed, looking at Tanis. He added "Like her."  
  
She blushed a bit "Erm...but it's so high on your leg and I would hate to slip up....and....yah' know...hurt your family jewels."  
  
"Get your mind out of the gutter and do the damn job!" he loudly ordered.  
  
I watched at Tanis turned into a wolf, her fangs really weren't small but they weren't full grown either. She walked over and let one of her fangs sink in. It wasn't all that deep. Tsume's reaction was immediate as he arched his back and tried to forget that the pain was there. It was obvious that it hurt like hell.  
  
IIIII (Narrator POV)  
  
Wedging her fang in-between the bullet and the delicate flesh inside, the she-wolf brought it out as gentle as possible. The tip of her fang just underneath it, though, in the process that tip rubbed against the inside of his leg and he tried not to yell out. She popped it out then changed back into human form. She picked it up and handed it to Tsume.  
  
Tsume wiped away the thin line of sweat that had formed on his forehead. Well, it still hurt, but it would be easier to run with now.  
  
"Keep it, a souvenir," Tanis said with a wink.  
  
"Thanks," Tsume said, rubbing his leg.  
  
The four looked at the warehouse. Their destination just that far away. And Toboe was in there. They all looked at eachother, and with a nod from their leader Kiba, started sliding down hill in their wolf forms.  
  
IIIII  
  
YEAH! Alright, FINALLY finished that chapter. Sorry it took me a couple of days to do. I kind of was working on another one-shot Wolf's Rain fic but anyway I'll try and be half-way positive ::sucks a lot of air in and then sighs out:: I did a decent job. It took me so damn long to write even though it's short. :) I hope that it was to your all liking. Sorry if I'm letting anyone down. T.T I'll do better to those of you who don't like it! Anyway, time for thank you! LOOK DOWN THERE BECAUSE YOU MIGHT BE THERE!!!  
  
In no particular order...except for the first one listed. My neesama!   
  
MalletWeilderofDoom: Of course I wouldn't do anything to Tanis-san! I have no reason too! Unless you do something wrong then... ::big explosion goes off in the distance:: Whoops...sorry. Tanis go boom. Just kidding! Just kidding! But your fine. I luvv you lots!  
  
Hottie From Hell: Wow! Thank you! Oooohhh! You went to the store! ::jumps up and down excitedly:: Did you buy me something?! Did you buy me something?! Just kidding. :D Thanks for putting me on your fav's list! ::huggles Hottie From Hell-san:: COOL! Your reviews are much appreciated. P.S.: Luvv the name.   
  
AngelicDemonFang: Thank you very much. :) Tanis-san and Kuro-chan are cool. Especially since Tanis-san is based on my friend Kate-Kate (A.K.A: MalletWielderofDoom: Good stories. Read now) Anyway, your review is much appreciated.  
  
Mai Minase: ::bows down to Mai-san:: Thank you! I luvv it when someone that isn't so impressed is impressed with one of my stories. ::thinks about what I just said:: That sounded weird, didn't it? I'm glad that you liked it! I'm really happy that you liked it! Your review is much appreciated.  
  
Stars Dream: The ending shall come soon! Don't worry! :) I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing but we shall soon find out. Your reviews are much appreciated.  
  
Macha: :) Well, I wanted them to find Tanis-san because...well..you'll see later. :D I have it all planned out but you'll have to find out in either the next chapter or the next. Don't know how long this is going to last, though, I am planning on a sequel with my friend...Your reviews are much appreciated.  
  
Rasgara: MWAHAHHAHAHHAHAHA! YAY! My story doesn't completely suck! ::huggles Rasgara-san:: Thanks for the self-confidence. Your reviews are much appreciated.  
  
SnowShoe Koneko: First, I must ask, were did you get the cool name?! It's really cool! Somehow, I always think of Kuroneko-sama from Trigun. Mmm....Wolfwood....Sorry. I'm going off track. :D And don't hyperventilate! Don't panic! Ummm...because I am going to update quicker now! :) ::starts eating the pocky that SnowShoe Koneko-kun gave so kindly to her:: Mmm...thanks...and your reviews are always appreciated! Your so kind!  
  
SnakeMistress: Of course Toby-chan will be okay! I wouldn't hurt him...to badly....anyway, your review is much appreciated.  
  
ThatWasACheapTrick: Once again, luvv the name. To lazy to log in?! Yeah. I do that all the time. ;; They shall find him! In a while. Heh he he...I'm so evil to my poor little Toby-chan...And I can't wait to read your Wolf's Rain ficcie! What's it about? Hey! Everybody! READ THATWASACHEAPTRICK'S FICCIE WHEN HE/SHE GETS IT UP!!! XD Can't wait for it! Your reviews are very much appreciated.  
  
Eriol's Anui: ::reads name over:: Cool name! :) It's different. Yeah, Tanis- san is weird. But comic relief is what Wolf's Rain needs! Well, okay, it is LOL at some parts (like Hige hitting on Coal or eating or talking about food) but otherwise it's depressing! They need Tanis-san in the show! MWAHHAHAHAHHAHAHA!! I'm going off track here. Erm, I had a point, but I lost it. U Anyway, your review is much appreciated.  
  
Zee: ::huggles Zee-san:: Thanks for the self-confidence, buddy ::ruffles your hair:: He He! :) Your reviews are VERY much appreciated.  
  
Ashley(InuMad): Oh! ::blushes:: Stop it! I'm going to get a big head if I keep on getting flattered the way you flatter me! :) ::huggles Ashley-san:: Really! Thank you for the confidence! You can email me if you want at ShadowBadowSanyahoo.com since you left me your email for me. :) Wasn't sure if you wanted to but if you want you can email me if you want. Luvv to hear from you! Your reviews are very much appreciated.  
  
Nami-yan: When I read your name it reminds me of Nami-chan from One Peice. ONE PEICE RULES! Anyway, no, it wasn't negative, I thought about it and I don't think I should have made him wimp out. Of course, my story would have went of course but I would have found a way around it! Really? You jump for joy? COOL! ::jumps for joy that your jumping for joy:: ::falls down and lands on her Wolf Rain action figures that I wish I had but I don't but I can wish. Can't I?:: Ouch...Kiba's hair is too spiky...Your reviews are VERY much appreciated!  
  
Mayamori: Ouch...you kicked Kate in the face....I think she's going to revolt. Anyway, TOBOE! NOOO! Oh, well, I get Hige ::huggles Hige tightly:: OO NOOOOOO! NOT THE TOOTHBRUSH! ANYTHING BUT THE TOOTHBRUSH! (Excuse me, had to much sugar today) ::twitches from hyperness:: O.- Anyway, your reviews are very much appreciated! ::hands Mayamori Toboe:: You can have Toboe but you'll have to fight a million other fan girls for him. Have fun.  
  
Kitsune-firedragon: Oooohhh! KITSUNE! I luvv foxes! Sorry. Hyperness is getting in the train of thought again ::hits self in head:: :D Anyway, THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! I updated! Your review is much appreciated!  
  
BrittneyAnna: Hmmm....I can stand TsumexToboe but I'm more of a brother/brother fan. :) Ya' know, like Gene and Jim brotherly fics from Outlaw Star or, er, can't think of any more. My brain went caput. T.T And I also hate it when people portray him as a wimp. I know, I know, I made him wimp out, but he was scared! I mean, naturally scared, not over dramatized, if I wanted him really to be a wimp I could make him a quivering blob in the corner. Then I'd just want to huggle him. I'm trying to make this ficcie have people want to hug him but not get angry because he's getting over hurt. And I wanted him to be like the older brother to Kuro-chan atleast. Because he really doesn't get to act the older brother much and Kuro-chan sees Ayakato in Toby-chan. And thank you for putting me on the author alerts list and the fav. list! ::hands BrittneyAnna a giant cookie:: There. Your review is very much appreciated.  
  
Me: Suspense! Yes! Mwahahahhahhaa! I luvv suspense. Well, actually, in my own stories but not when I'm reading other stories. ;; I won't have that much bloodshed on Toby-chan. He is still a pup. But, well, I think I have to make up for that with Kuro-chan...hehe...I am so evil to my Original Characters. ;; Actually, I was reading my reviews, over and over so I could do this. Mwahhahahahhaha! Well, after I finished the chapter. ::now is confuzzled:: Dizzy Dizzy Dizzy now. Your review is much appreciated. :)  
  
Everyone else: Your reviews are just as important! Thank you very much all of you! I luvv you all sooooooooooooo much! THANK YOU! YOU'RE KEEPING THIS STORY ALIVE! ::slaps self:: To sappy now. U  
  
Well, that was fun. ::wipes sweat off of forehead:: Typing so much (I've got other stories to finish yet and I'm working on all of them at once!) is hurting my brain. Or, what's left of it, but I'm not leaving this one out in the cold. I would never do that! It just takes me a couple of days to update but there isn't anything wrong with that. I think...I hope..oh, God, inside joke. Sorry. ;; Anyway, please review. Every single one of them means a lot to me! THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH! ::huggles all of the reviewers into a group hug:: Review please. 


	6. Pain that ended for one

Thank you all so much for your reviews! My friend, MalletWielderofDoom, is going to make the sequel thingy. I'm not sure when but look out for it. It's following Tanis and the others through out finding paradise and little side adventures, it a humorous ficcie, that is really funny. Ya'all should look out for it when it comes out.  
  
Update: I'm working another WR fic too. It's sort of like this but not really like this. It's a yaoi fic. Hige/Kiba. :D I know that you probably don't want to hear the summary of it and I may sound desperate saying it but here's the summary:  
  
Tricked into staying the night, for Hige has fallen ill, the woman there has found out the secret of them being wolves. As soon as they realize it, all of them have fallen sick! When they try to leave it's a fight. To even survive is a fight. Without medication they can't get better. And without getting better...they only get sicker. Will anyone survive? Hige/Kiba. Yaoi.  
  
Sorry, that's a bad idea, isn't it? It's sort of like this one. :P I'm not to good at stories. Anyway, here's the reason your actually reading this. The next chapter! Don't worry, this isn't the last. :) Don't know if that's good or not but I'm doing my best! Don't forget to review!  
  
::hands a BIG jug of pocky to MalletWielderofDoom, Mai Minase, BrittneyAnna, Hottie From Hell, and Nami-yan::  
  
::hands a HUGE cookie too Zee, Star's Dream, Me, Rasgara, SnowShoe Koneko, and everyone else actually::  
  
IIIII (Toboe POV)  
  
"Please don't die on me, Kuro-kun, I need you! Come on!" I said, holding him in my arms. His half opened eyes look up at me, not sure what he's thinking of but I see that he's looking over my shoulder. I turn around. "What are you looking at?"  
  
"Ayakato..." he whispered out, putting a hand on my face.  
  
He was a little woozy from the blood lose but it had stopped now so I'm sure that he'll be fine, atleast, that's what I'm hoping anyway. All he was doing now was probably seeing things. Kuro had said before that Ayakato looked like me so maybe he was seeing his brother instead of Toboe. Myself. It was sort of scary as he just hugged me and refused to let go, calling me Ayakato. I know that it's scary and he's hurting but right now we have to get out of here.  
  
I look at the door. That's my destination. It seems like Fujii is already down and out of it, he's moving a bit, but I only think it's twitching. Although I consider kicking him in the head a few times for good measure I don't think that Tanis nor Kuro would be happy if I were to hurt him any further. The blood taste was still in my mouth. I hated it! I hate being here. The door was so close but yet so far away. I try to make Kuro let go of me but he just buries his face deeper yet into my chest, hugging me tighter, saying some sort of prayer. Or song. I'm not really sure what it was because I couldn't make it out between sobs.  
  
"Kuro-kun...please...we have to get out of here," I told him. "Kur-"  
  
"Don't be hasty now," said a familiar voice. I looked behind me. Fujii. He was alive, damn him! How the hell is he alive?! Blood dripped from his bandaged sores but he managed to hold that blood stained knife that had went into my friends gut. I growled at him, holding Kuro in my arms as he started shaking, turning my back to the man. I wouldn't let Kuro be hurt. I'd rather die then let him be hurt.  
  
(There's no reason for me to live anymore, anyway. They aren't coming) I thought to myself as I waited for Fujii to stab me. (What is he waiting for?! Probably tormenting my mind. I want to move but I'm afraid too. What do I do? Tsume...)  
  
"Die...brat!" I could hear him shout as he went down for one last strike with all that he had left.  
  
IIIII (Hige POV)  
  
Well, no one said saving the runt was going to be easy. Half of the guys were no problem since they ran away with their tail between thier legs like pathetic little dogs. Not like we expected it to be a peice of cake. Well, I didn't, since my hand was still hurt it was pounding at me. But, as long as I knew Toboe was alive, and in the back of my mind it said that he was still breathing, I'm not going to let some jerks stand in the way of me and him. I bit a mans jugular then jumped off of his shoulder. That was just the beginning for me. I mean, Tsume and Kiba had done most of the work, the most Tanis did was in her human form and knock them out. She's actually pretty good at martial arts. Go figure.  
  
As I kill another one, my eye catches a shadow behind me. Swerving around, it's to late, as a gun shot grazes my back leg. Howling to warn everyone that Roi was here I snarled at him afterwards. The gun was shaking in his hands. He was scared. Scared of what I would do to him. As he should be. Though, his wounds were just going to kill him in a day or two in the end, so I think that I'll just let him suffer for very long time for what he's done to my little buddy. Another milli-second is all I would have needed to take him down to the ground but noooo! Do you think that I got away with escaping another graze to the same leg!? No! Of course not! That right leg just gave out on me when I needed it most. The gun pointed to head I began to think quickly through my mind of what to do.  
  
Obviously the guys were to busy with their own little battles to help me out. Snarling once again I can see him visibly shaking. What he doesn't know is that I don't dare when a gun is pointed between my eyes. He has control right now. Then there's something I didn't know: Tanis wasn't fighting. She ran up behind Roi and basically jumped onto his shoulders, then covered his eyes. It was dangerous considering, oh, I don't know, he could have frickin' shot me still! He didn't have the chance. The gun fell to the ground and Tanis tumbled him to the ground onto his bad shoulder where he was unable to move.  
  
She looks at me with a warm smile, her big hazel eyes gaze over my head. Her eyes get big. She shouts "Mr. Whiskers! Look out behind you!"  
  
"Don't call me Mr. Whiskers!" I growl at her before I turn around. A man with a sword was about to stab me in the spine. Yeah. Right. Like I would let that happen.  
  
With my leg still out I was still faster than his lazy ass. I easily went through his legs and then jumped onto his back, and it wasn't a pretty site from there. I dug into the back of his head with my teeth then, with a quick movement, pulled to the right side. Blood spurted out from the wound. My fangs had dug deep into his skull so peices of that went right out. Blood and brains fell to the ground next to him. His eyeballs gouged out from the impact and an ungodly amount of blood somehow still spewing from his mouth.  
  
"Eeeewwwwwww......talk about massacre! Mr. Whiskers! Your violent!" commented Tanis, coming over to me.  
  
I turned into a human, since the last of them were finished. "Whatever. What did you expect me to do? Let him stab me to death?"  
  
"You didn't have to rip his head apart!" Tanis shouted at me.  
  
"Look, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to get that violent."  
  
"You guys o-" Tsume began to say as he came over to us, human form, covered in human stench. It burned in my nose. He stopped his sentence once he saw the guy next to me. He questioned "Okay? Who got kill happy?"  
  
Angrily, I shouted "I'm not kill happy!"  
  
"Yes you are!" Tanis shouted at me. I just brushed that little comment off.  
  
The other wolf looked down at the body, then back at me. "By looks of that, believe me, you are way over kill happy. I won't get you mad from now on. Guess that means no stealing your lunch, now does it?"  
  
"Shutup!" I snapped, crossing my arms.  
  
Luckily when Kiba came over he didn't mind what I had done. It really wasn't that big of a deal. It was in self-defense. Tanis seemed really upset by it though which made me feel guilty. I sighed out as Tanis had to open her big mouth!  
  
"Kiba-san! Look what Mr. Whiskers did! Tell him not to over do it!" said Tanis, placing her hands on her hips.  
  
"Kiba-san! Oooh! Look at what that filthy bastard Mr. Whiskers did? Isn't he just horrible? Kill him now!" I mocked her which made her look go sour. "Don't feed me crap."  
  
"Man killer," she mumbled.  
  
"Brat," I hissed back.  
  
"That's really nothing right now," Kiba looked at the warehouse. "I have a bad feeling. Tanis? This is where Toboe is being held?"  
  
"Right..." she said.  
  
Kiba looked at the mutilated man next to me and then myself. I blinked in confusion. He said "Oh, so I don't get on bad terms with Tanis, bad Hige. Bad."  
  
"I'm not a dog!" I shouted as we started running towards the warehouse.  
  
IIIII (Narrator POV)  
  
Without any concern or selfish thought for his own life, Kuro pushed an un-knowing Toboe out of the way and took that stab that was meant for him. The brown haired boy quickly turned back around only to see a horrid site that shouldn't be meant for young pup eyes. Shoved deep into Kuro's chest was the knife, blood dripping, and then Fujii dropped down right there. Toboe watched Kuro stumble onto Toboe's bed and fall onto his side, barely able to breath.  
  
"Kuro-kun!" shouted Toboe angrily and he ran over to him. He put the boy in his lap, his eyes looking at a suffering boy. Tears formed in Kuro's eyes. "Please! No! You can't die! I know that your stronger than this! I won't let you die on me!"  
  
"Toboe-san..." whispered out Kuro as he gripped onto Toboe's hand. "Take good care of...Tanis-san for me. Tell her I say that she was one of the (gasp) best friends I ever had. And you...." his grip tightened "Your an angel. Pure and simple. I know this to be true because I can see your wings as I was dying from the first st-" He was cut of short as he coughed up blood.  
  
"This isn't happening," Toboe hissed.  
  
"That's why (cough) I was staring over your shoulder. You really have wings like an angel."  
  
"No! I'm just a wolf!" Toboe said, crying. His tears fell onto Kuro's chest, and he held Kuro tighter to him. "No....I don't want to loose any more friends."  
  
"Angels shouldn't cry," Kuro whispered. He wiped away Toboe's tears with a finger. His grip loosened, meaning that he was slipping away, and he said, tears flowing down his cheeks, "I'll tell Ayakato that you...say...hello..."  
  
Then he slipped away. Toboe looked at Fujii angrily. Tears ran down his face, he clenched his teeth, and held Kuro close to him.  
  
"Rest in peace, my friend," the alive pup whispered as he set Kuro in the bed. He ripped the dagger out of Kuro's chest and walked over to Fujii.  
  
The knife shook in his hand. His anger was taking over him. Toboe knew that he should calm down before he really does kill someone but his friend just died...how can he stay calm!? Kuro was dead! Raising the dagger...  
  
IIIII  
  
:D I know, I'm evil. What's new? I left it on a cliffhanger. Well, review please! You'll have to wait until the next chapter until you can see if Toboe will kill or if he stops on his own. Will he become a murderer? Hope not. I need atleast two reviews asking me to continue. Thank you.  
  
P.S.: Sorry if this chappy grossed you out.  
  
P.S.#2: Don't be mad at me for killing of Kuro. I had it set in my mind that someone had to die and it was originally going to be Tanis-san but Kate-sama begged me not to kill her. I'm glad that I made Kuro up. Makes things much more interesting.   
  
P.S.#3: Sorry for the short chappy. I know this wasn't really all that good but....umm...fluff in the next chapter! :) :) :) I know we all like fluffy- ness-ness-ness! 


	7. Pain starts to turn into traumatization

Sorry for the cliffie. I think this is the last chapter. Maybe there will be an epilogue. Not sure. I have another little problem in mind but....you guys probably don't want anymore of this story than what has been done. So, without any further ado, another chapter.  
  
IIIII (Toboe POV)  
  
If I did this it would upset Kuro. But I have to avenge his death. Holding the dagger up, I look down at Fujii who is completely and utterly at my mercy, he has no more strength anymore to even grab my ankle. It would be cruel to hurt him now. Good. He was cruel to Kuro and I and even Tanis. And this Everen person, it was all a chain of events that had to be stopped before anyone else is going to get killed, all of this seemed never ending; maybe I could break the cycle.  
  
Then Kuro's face ran through my head once again. As he cried and called me an angel. I guess that when your dying to see strange things. Granny hadn't seen anything strange, I don't think. It hurt just to think about Kuro, my heart ached to have him back here, he had been so kind to me. And he really had his heart set out on getting out of here. Most of his life was spent in this worthless exuse of a shelter. He worked his butt off just to be mercilessly beaten, abused, but he said to me that it was all worth it because he was being fed. With a place to sleep. I think that I would rather be in a sewer than this dump.  
  
My veins boil in anger. All I have to do is bring down this dagger into his head and he'll die. Though, it won't bring Kuro back. So what good will it do? What will this accomplish? My anger is still as strong as ever but it's not blinding my common sense. I won't become a murderer. I know in my heart that Kuro would have done the same. Though, the dagger is still clutched in my hand, Fujii looks up at me, crying his eyes out. It really is stupid. Not that I didn't know before that he's stupid because he really is. Oh sure! Now he's asking for forgiveness. Like he didn't mean to do those things! He knew darn well what he was doing! All of this of being a big baby was only making me even more angry. He begged for me to spare him. To be kind.  
  
"P-Please! I didn't mean it!" he begged with me. "I won't hurt anymore of them! I'll give you whatever you want! Spare me! Everything that I did was wrong! Don't you know what compassion is?!"  
  
My hair covers my eyes full of tears. They aren't tears of sadness, their one of anger. I wipe them away and look at him with a full on death glare, for if only looks could kill, Fujii would have been dead right now.  
  
"Where was the compassion when **you** slaughtered my friend?! He didn't deserve to die! He was only twelve years old! Did you hear me?! **Twelve years old**!" I surprised myself actually. I didn't know I could really yell out of anger. But, anyone pushed to the brink I have would have snapped.  
  
He shivered on the floor, saying "I'm sorry. I know that-"  
  
"Shutup! I want you to feel what Kuro-kun felt while he was dying! Cold hearted thing you!" I continued my verbal assault. He just kept shaking on the ground.  
  
Fujii whispered out "Don't kill me. Please."  
  
"You freak of nature! How can you even call yourself a human being! You aren't of this world!" I shouted angrily, kicking him in his hurt shoulder. He screamed out in pain. "I want you to feel what all of these poor wolves have been feeling while you beat them or whipped them! How does it feel to be hurt?!"  
  
"Stop! I beg of you!" he sobbed out.  
  
"Would you have done it for Kuro-kun if he asked for you to stop? Would you have just dug the dagger in deeper?"  
  
The man refused to answer.  
  
"You should answer me! I want an answer!"  
  
"I don't have an answer. Just that I would have."  
  
"Liar!!" I was furious, the dagger in my hand was getting this close from being raised and slammed into his skull. "You're pathetic. A loser. Your scum. You aren't even worth talking to so why the heck am I? Though, I know that it won't bring Kuro-kun back, why should I let you live? How do I know that you won't go and do the same thing all over again?"  
  
"I wo-"  
  
I broke him off, saying "And you word means nothing to me. It's the only solution so no more wolves have to suffer. If I have too then let it be."  
  
The dagger rose and he just covered his head. Then, I heard something outside.  
  
IIIII (Kiba POV)  
  
Oh my God. That's all I could think of as we entered the warehouse. All the pups, the wolves, had been killed by wrist cutting. My fists tightened. Even if this was a sad site to behold, the only good thing was, I didn't see Toboe anywhere around here. He had to be in the cabin right ahead. Before anyone of us could run Tanis was having a break down.  
  
"Nooooo!" Tanis screamed, looking at all of her lifeless friends. All of them killed. It had to have been so hard on her to take in all of this at once since she had been with them all for so long; she had said that she swore to protect them all with her life. Now they were all dead. "This isn't happening! This is all just all a really bad dream! They can't be dead! All of them are really okay. They just have to be."  
  
Tears ran down her face as she shook her head. Sympathizing with her I walked over and hugged her. Tanis cried on my shoulder heavily of the loss of her friends.  
  
"T-They're all gone! I have no one anymore!" Tanis cried on me. "I want them to come back! Make them come back!"  
  
"I'm sorry, I could I would do that," I said, rubbing her back.  
  
It really saddened my heart. Really, if I could bring them all back I would. All of them looked so young. So many dead wolves. It brought back my memories of childhood of which standing where my dead pack lies. None of them survived. Those were memories that I sometimes wish that I could forget but I wouldn't let them hold me back.  
  
"Where's Toboe?!" Tsume ordered to know from Tanis, but she couldn't answer. Her sobs were caught in her throat and she began to hiccup from all of her hyperventilating. "Tell me where he is now! We don't know if he's dying now or not!"  
  
"Calm down," I said while giving him a cold glare. Giving her over to Hige so she could cry on him I pointed to the cabin in the middle. "I want you to go get him. It'll be better if he just see's you rather than us. The first thing you say to him is that your sorry. You are sorry, right?"  
  
"Of course," he snapped back.  
  
"Tsume, I want to tell you one thing before you do."  
  
"Oh, yeah? What's that?"  
  
"If Toboe happens to be dead I want you to start howling. Then we all will start to howl. For him. One last time, just to honor his short life."  
  
"What give you the idea he's dead?! He's _**alive**_, dammit! He has to be!" He shouted back at me.  
  
Looking at Tanis, I replied "That's exactly what she thought. Tanis never thought that all of her friends would be killed but it did happen. Although, that was unexpected. This is a fifty/fifty chance, Tsume. I don't want to think about it either, I love him dearly. In fact, as much as you do, but there's no way to be sure of if he's alive or if he is dead."  
  
"Toboe's alive?" Hige questioned.  
  
Both I and Tsume looked at him. What was he talking about?  
  
"Toboe!" he said, pointing at the cabin. He was standing there, a bloody dagger in his hand. It was so slick with blood that he could hardly hold it anymore. Hige ran at the pup, in joy, while Tanis just stood there dazed.  
  
IIIII (Narrator POV)  
  
The brown haired pup looked around, his friends...all of them were killed. He looked down at his bloodied dagger. His hands were full of Fujii's dry blood now. He couldn't get the stench out, even when he had rubbed it on the sheets of the bed, it wouldn't come out. It bugged the heck out of him. Toboe didn't even care that they were here. All that was in his mind right now was everything that had happened in the last two days. Roi. Fujii. Pain. Hurt. Mental anguish. The merciless beatings. More mental anguish. Tanis. Kuro. The talking. The threats. Thinking that no one was coming for him. Then Fujii killing Kuro. It ran through his mind over and over again.  
  
As Hige hugged him, Toboe just stood there, also dazed. He didn't even know that Hige was hugging him. The memories haunted his every thought. There was no way to get them out. All that stayed was the bloodshed and the hurt. Mentally, he was worn out. All of his posotive thoughts that may have been there before were thrown out of the window. It was hard to think good now. So much had happened, both physically and mentally, that there was no way Toboe could recover just by the showing up of his friends.  
  
"Toboe! Toboe! I thought you were dead meat, runt!" Hige said with a smile. He noticed that Toboe wouldn't look up, that's when he shook his small friend. "Toboe? Toboe? Are you in there? Hige to Toboe, come in little buddy."  
  
Tsume ran over and immediately noticed that something was wrong. He bent down to Toboe's height and looked him in the eyes. "I'm sorry, kid. I didn't think that anything like this would happen. But, I'll make up for it, I promise that I will. And a wolf like me always keeps his word."  
  
"Like that means anything," Hige whispered out.  
  
"Shutup you chubby little girl-loving puppy," the elder wolf hissed back.  
  
The child stayed quiet, just strange empty into Tsume's eyes.  
  
"Say something!" Tsume ordered. He got angry and put a hand on Toboe's shoulder which caused him to jump. "It's okay now. I promise that no one will hurt you anymore. Don't be afraid. You remember us? Right? Toboe? It's us, Tsume, Kiba, Tanis, and Hige. Your...friends."  
  
When he still wouldn't say anything Kiba came over with Tanis holding his hand, she wouldn't let go of him. "You don't think that they..." Kiba's voice trailed off but Tsume and the others knew what he was getting at.  
  
"They better have not," Tsume growled. He looked at Toboe and asked "Toboe? Did they do anything besides beat you? You know, like force themselves upon you?"  
  
"Oh, Tsume," Toboe finally broke down. Tears filled his eyes and he hugged his idol. "It was so scary! I tried so hard to be brave just like you would have been but I couldn't help anyone! Now they're all dead and Kuro's dead and I killed him! I really killed him! I killed someone, Tsume! I did it! Fujii's dead now! I knew that he would have made just another warehouse like this if he happened to live so I just stabbed him in the back of the neck. Please...don't hate me! I saw no other way! And it hurt so much! They were so mean, Tsume, I can't take it! Please take me away from here!"  
  
Holding him tight to him, Tsume's eyes softened considerably. The poor kid had gone through so much and it was obvious that he was traumatized. And....Tsume couldn't believe that this was the same kid that three days ago been so cheerful. Usually, he would have been jumping for joy. Now he was scared to even let anyone hold him. What exactly did they do to him!? Tsume's opinion of Toboe would never change. There was that cheerful kid in there somewhere and he wanted to bring it out once again because that was the real Toboe. Not this crying little boy. And the fact that he got through all of this without killing himself was a true sign of bravery. No child should have to go through this anyway.  
  
"T-Toby-chan?" asked Tanis, nervously. "Kuro-chan's dead?"  
  
Toboe nodded, still shaking. "I'm sorry. I tried to protect him the best that I could but it wasn't enough. Don't hate me."  
  
Tanis wiped away her tears. She patted Toboe's head, making him flinch, but she replied "I wouldn't hate you for what Fujii has done. I know that Kuro-kun is going to a better place now. You don't have to worry about it."  
  
"B-But..."  
  
"No but's," She said.  
  
"I killed...." he sobbed out.  
  
"It's in a wolf's nature to kill. It's the first time but it probably won't be the last," Kiba entered. Toboe nodded, for it was true. "I'm sorry to say to you but that's just what wolves do. Besides, this Fujii, just think of him as something that you kill for food, like a bird. You don't feel bad when you kill a bird for eating do you?"  
  
He shook his head. "Noo..."  
  
"Then think of it like that. I know you were raised differently than us, raised part of your life by a kind human, but this is a hard lesson to learn that the world isn't that perfect," Kiba sighed out. As much as he hated to admit it, that was the truth. The world is going downhill and very fast. "But, I guess, us older wolves are supposed to protect you from it. And I'm sorry. We really aren't doing our jobs. So I apologize for that."  
  
"I tried to stay brave...but..." Toboe's mind raced back to all that had been done to him. He was going to continue when he noticed that Tsume was looking at his hurt hand. When he touched the sore he shrieked "Don't touch it!"  
  
"Is this your only wound?" The concerned wolf asked.  
  
Toboe replied in return by taking off his shirt as Tanis went into the cabin, he figured to say her late good-bye's to Kuro. All three of the wolves looked at his back at the lashes which would most definitely scar. A remembrance of everything that has happen and same went for his hand. The scars were decently taken care of but they needed to be cleaned out. Obviously for a couple more weeks. Toboe gasped in pain as Tsume started rubbing some cold cream on him. He jumped forward and turned around.  
  
Angrily, he saw Tsume with that cream bottle that Kuro had used the first time. Toboe's frowned deepened at the thought of Kuro.  
  
"I got in the cabin and got that. You need to get that treated again," Tanis ordered, crossing her arms. He just whimpered. "Toboe..." she hissed.  
  
A couple minutes later, Hige was distracting Toboe easily about talking about what had happened after he had left. Tsume and Tanis were applying the cream while Kiba just sat at the sidelines. The leader was glad that his group was good again.  
  
"You guys really did that?" asked Toboe with a chuckle, forgetting the pain in his back. Well, sort of.  
  
"Yep. You should have seen us tormenting poor Tsume well he was taking a leek in the bushes. He was behind the tree and I kept on trying to talk to him. He yelled at me to leave him the hell alone but it was to funny to pass up so I just tried to make small talk with him," Hige chuckled at the thought. "It was funny when he came out, after he had done his business of course, and was blushing. I've never seen Tsume blush."  
  
"Hige...." growled Tsume angrily. "I told you never to mention that! It was embarrassing! Don't you know what privacy is?!"  
  
"Riiiggghhhhttt..." Hige replied with a smirk. "It took you rather long to do that though. You want me to tell him what your reasoning of that was?"  
  
"Hentai! Toby-chan! Cover your ears!" said Tanis, knowing where this was leading.  
  
Toboe blushed a bit. "That's okay. I don't think I want to know."  
  
"He said-" Hige was beginning to say but Tsume reached over with his leg and kicked the younger pup in the leg. "Ouch! What was that for, Tsume?!"  
  
"You tell and you die," he said.  
  
"Whatever."  
  
IIIII (A tiny bit later....like, a half hour, Narrator POV)  
  
A proper burial for their young friend Kuro was right in place. They carefully dug up a hole big enough for him, placed him inside and then buried him. Saying a few prayers Tanis began to start crying silent tears, Toboe couldn't blame her, she had been so close to him. Kiba started rubbing her back. Hige stuck a cardboard headstone in the ground, right in front of Kuro, that had his name written on it. Saying he was twelve years of age and that we would never forget him. To let his soul rest in peace, to help his after life be a pleasant one, and to possibly find paradise.  
  
Toboe looked up at the blue sky. It was so nice to be outside finally, even if there were dead people all around, it was nice to be out once again in the fresh air. Not stuck in that stupid cabin. The wind blew in his hair that felt so nice. A smile appeared on his face of which assured the worried older wolves that he was slowly coming back to his normal self. Toboe only wished that Kuro, one last time, would have been able to come out and feel the breeze. One more time. Without it being for work or trying to escape. Then, that smile that had so quickly came to his innocent face, quickly disappeared. Just the thought of Kuro made him want to hit something. Out of sadness, of course.  
  
Seeing that he was shaking, Tsume quickly grabbed his hand and acted like nothing was happening. Toboe tightened his grip on Tsume's hand while laying his head on his arm. It was a nice feeling to have people that cared about you as much at these four do. Toboe always thought of the four like this: Kiba was like the father of the group, always there, but not the warm fuzzy kind. Hige: The annoying older brother who is obsessed with girls. But, if it came down to it, he would help you. Tsume: The other older brother whom is tough but is like chocolate, hard on the outside but mushy on the inside. He tries to like he doesn't care about his friends but he'd help them if they needed him. (A/N: Me and my friend Kate Kate No Neesama use that a lot) Then, even though he had known her for two days, Tanis had to be the caring but wacky older sister (even if she was only two months older than him) Always trying to make other people happy.  
  
Then...Kuro would have been the quiet younger brother. Toboe wished that he would have been able to meet Kiba, Tsume, or even Hige because they would have gotten along really good. Kuro would have fit right in with this group. But Toboe knew that was not at all possible. He was gone. He had to face the facts that Kuro would never come back. Now he was in the ground. That was making it loud and clear that this was going to be the final goodbye. So he figured that he should have something that will atleast stay there for a couple days until a storm or a strong wind came by. With that, Toboe picked up at stick. Everyone watched as he carved, into the soft soil that covered Kuro, five words:  
  
You were a great friend.  
  
Then he put a small smiley face after that. Dropping the stick, he grabbed Tsume's hand once again, then set his head on his arm.  
  
Staring at it, Tsume commented "I'm sure that he was."  
  
"He really was," replied Tanis, drying her tears. She perked up and said with a smile "Well, I guess I'll be going now. I'll let you guys be on your way. Besides, I have to look for my imouto-kun."  
  
As she walked away, Kiba asked "Where do you think your going?"  
  
"Huh?" She asked, turning around.  
  
Hige looked at Kiba curiously. "You mean you want her to come with us? Are you insane? She's so hyper you'll be driven crazy! We all will be."  
  
"Really? You want me to come with you guys?!" Tanis asked excitedly.  
  
"Where would you go? You don't have anyone out there I don't suppose," Kiba commented. She shook her head with a smile. "You do?"  
  
"Yep. My imouto-kun. She's out there somewhere and I'm going to find her!" Tanis said proudly. "She should be eleven years old by now. Her name is Kyashi and I lost her five years ago so I have to find her. I know that she's alive. My instinct is telling me that she's out there, somewhere."  
  
"You can find her, with us, in Paradise," he answered.  
  
She looked at all of them. The three older wolves seemed to be honest, while Toboe still stared blankly at nothing. Tanis figured that it couldn't hurt to join them. All it could possibly do was help. And that myth about Paradise could be true; Kiba wouldn't lie to her. She would find Kyashi with them.  
  
"Okay," Tanis said. Maybe they could be her family...for a while.  
  
IIIII  
  
Hey, this isn't the end! The is one or two more chapters coming. Trying to get Toboe back to his original mental state. To get him back to his original loving state. V.V Poor Toboe, how I simply torment him so. Well, thank you all so far! Plz review. 


	8. Pain is healing

Thanks for all of the reviews. Please review! You all are so wonderful! ::sniffles::  
  
IIIII (Narrator POV)  
  
"It's mine!" Tanis shouted into the night, pulling on the pigs leg. "I said it is mind and it will be mine! You shall not take it, Mr. Whiskers! Mwahahaha!"  
  
"Your crazy and seeing things!" Hige shouted back. "And don't call me Mr. Whiskers!"  
  
Hige was on the other end, trying to force Tanis to give it up, since the leg of the pig was their favorite part. And since Tsume ate the other one there was a battle going on among the two to get that leg. Kiba was full, watching the moon from the large forest that they had carried themselves too, it was atleast the middle of the night now. Tsume was still eating while watching over Toboe whom hadn't eaten anything at all. He really didn't talk right now. He was still trying to cope with the lose of Kuro, his back which was hurting so much, and trying to erase those memories of everything that happened.  
  
The older wolf that sat next to the pup handed him a small peice of pig while the yells of Tanis and Hige arguing were in the backround. Toboe turned his head away, refusing to look at it. He knew that he should eat something since he hadn't in a day but it was hard. His stomach was queasy so if he ate anything he would get sick. Tsume sighed heavily.  
  
"Your eating, Toboe," Tsume hissed, shoving it in front of his face. "It's not even that much! Come on, do it already, or I'll have to force it down your throat!"  
  
"I'm not eating!" Toboe argued with his friend. He slapped his hand away. "I told you before, I'm not hungry."  
  
"Well, then I'll have to make you eat it, won't I?" Tsume questioned, raising an eyebrow. Toboe was beginning to wonder how he would make him eat the meat. "Don't make me make you eat it. You won't enjoy it."  
  
Toboe replied "I'll tell you now that if I eat it I'll-HEY! TSUME! Don't-" Toboe was broke off as Tsume continued to squeeze his sides, tickling him. And Toboe was very ticklish so it was unbearable to him.  
  
The laughing continued as Tsume asked "You going to eat it or not?"  
  
"No! Stop it, Tsume!" he laughed out, gasping for air.  
  
"Awww...is our little Toby-chan ticklish?" cooed Tanis from a distance, although Toboe could still hear her. "I guess that I'll really have to use that against you next time I want you to do something for me."  
  
"Or just for entertainment," Hige chuckled.  
  
Tsume kept up his attack, and as he reached towards Toboe's underarms he couldn't take that. That was his most sensitive spot.  
  
"So, I'm guessing that this is your weaker spot? Hm?" Tsume calmly questioned, going higher. Toboe struggled, laughing uncontrollably as he did squirm his fingers higher. "Are you going to give in? Or do I have to get someone else to help me?"  
  
"Hahha! Fine! Fine! I'll eat it! Stop it!" Toboe gasped out as Tsume did stop. The small boy made angry eyes at the older wolf who just shrugged.  
  
"A wolves gotta' do what a wolves gotta' do," replied Tsume with a small smirk. He couldn't help but let out a very light chuckle as Toboe moved a couple inches from him, afraid of him tickling his sides again. "Don't worry. I'm not going to do that again."  
  
"How can I be so sure?" he asked, almost in a snap. The pup was obviously in a bad mood more than ever now. Tsume had never guessed that Toboe would be in a bad mood, he was always the happy one. He ate what Tsume had gave him in one gulp. "I ate it."  
  
"Good boy," Tsume said, reaching out to pat his head but Toboe flinched away. The older wolf sighed. "Okay, Toboe, I want to know what exactly they did to you."  
  
Toboe sort of trembled on the inside just thinking about it. He looked at everyone around, afraid that they would hear him. Maybe it wouldn't be such a bad thing to tell someone, he needed to get it out, but not in front of everyone else. He just kept looking at the ground. The pup knew that he was being a bit of a grouch but it wasn't his fault...was it? He just didn't know what to do right now. No matter how much he tried to act happy this was all just so much right now. He didn't know how in the hell Tanis stayed so happy. Right now she was taunting Hige because she had gotten the pig leg and he hadn't.  
  
"I...ummm..." Toboe kept looking at everyone and then Tsume. Tsume finally understood what he was so nervous about.  
  
"Let's go somewhere else," said the older wolf, taking the young pups hand. As they started walking away someone had to ask something.  
  
"Where are you going?" asked Hige.  
  
Tsume just said "Out."  
  
IIIII (Toboe POV) (A/N: This part may seem a yaoi part but it is NOT. I luvv yaoi but I don't like ToboexTsume, no offense)  
  
For one time in my whole life, I felt like I was welcome to actually cry. Tsume held me to him as I started crying even before I started to say anything at all. It seemed weird since this was the same guy who used to tell me to lived him the hell alone. To not follow him. Now he was rubbing my back and trying to calm me down. A softness that no one in our pack thought for him to have. But I knew that he had it in him. He cares about us doesn't show us unless we're in a dire situation. That's how Tsume works around it.  
  
Once I knew that it was going to be time to tell him, once I cried everything out, I began to get scared. Started to shake. I never thought that Tsume could be so kind. We sat down and he let me sit on his legs (it actually wasn't that uncomfortable); let me lean on his chest with my back. He wrapped his arms around my neck with a sigh. I personally don't think that he even knew that he could be so nice. Snuggling up against I thought that I would fall asleep before I could say anything. Though, I knew that he just wasn't doing this to let me be comfortable....unfortunately. Sighing I just decided to let this all sink in for a couple minutes.  
  
I guess that I was beginning to fall asleep because he said "Hey, I'm not doing this for you to be falling asleep ya' know. I want you to tell me what happened."  
  
"A-Are you sure?" I asked, not sure if he would be angry about it or not. Not sure if he would be angry at me because I let those things happen or if he would be upset at their doing it. I just don't want him to think that I'm a weak little nothing because I'm not. "I-I-I mean, you won't tell me that I'm a weakling?"  
  
"Toboe," sighed out Tsume, looking up at the sky. I think that he was trying to think of something nice to say. "I want you to know that none of this is your fault. You didn't ask for this to happen to you. I just wish that I would have gotten there earlier to prevent whatever happened. Because, now, your not really doing anything but staring at the ground. And Kiba suggested that one of us talk to you about it. I wanted to."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Not sure. But, before you do fall asleep, just tell me what you want. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."  
  
"Umm...well....after I was taken I tried to escape. I bit R-" I stopped there, I couldn't say his name. "I'm sorry..."  
  
"It's alright," I could tell that he was getting a bit annoyed. Not like I expected him to be patient with me. "You don't have to say their names if you don't want to. I guess...just say he."  
  
"Okay. I bit his arm in wolf form but it didn't do much. I think the front teeth are fully developed yet. He grabbed me by the scruff of my neck, I turned back into a human, I..." taking a deep breath so I wouldn't start to hyperventilate I continued on "...I tried to make him let go of me. If the other one hadn't told him to stop I probably would have been strangle. Really, the one that ever beat me was the lackey."  
  
"When they were done beating me that time we got into a car. We were driving down a bumpy road and I hit my head really, really, really hard on the roof thingy. When I asked for medicine for a headache he just told me to deal with it. It hurt so bad that I didn't want to deal with it, I said. So he took me out of the car...and..." I wiped some tears away "I had been so sure that he was going to kill me. Or molest me. He had been looking at me so strangely and I was so scared! I couldn't stop him as he just sat on me and practically broke my arm, and then my wrist. It hurt so bad and I asked for him to stop, I begged Tsume! He wouldn't stop!"  
  
Then, I broke out in tears. I had been so scared for my life. Really, I had thought that he was either going to assault me sexually or beat me to death. Then I just wished that it had been all over with. I had...  
  
"It's okay..." Tsume said in a whisper, hugging me tightly. I tried to get away, my back suddenly broke out in pain. I felt as if a thousand needles had been jammed into my back.  
  
"Ow! Tsume! My back! My back!" I said, pulling forward.  
  
He let me bend forward and he apologized "I didn't mean to hurt you. I just...thought...well, I was only trying to comfort you. That's all. Guess I'm not doing a very good job, am I?"  
  
"You are doing a good job," I replied. My tears had stopped atleast, I hated to break out crying in front of the person that I admired most. I snuggled against him once the pain had stopped. "Thank you so much Tsume."  
  
"Anytime."  
  
"And, really, you are doing a really good job!" I squeaked out.  
  
"Not so squeaky!" he said, covering his ears. Guess that it had been to close and squeaky sounding so I hurt his sensitive ears.  
  
There was silence for a moment. I said it before, and I'll say it again, I HATE awkward silences.  
  
"Hey, did you used to have any family, Tsume?" I asked, out of curiosity. I had always wondered what his past was like. Even if he was one of my really good friends it just dawned upon me that I hardly knew anything about him.  
  
(A/N: I'm taking a wild stab at his past. This is really, really, really, really unlikely to have been his past I have not seen the whole Wolf Rain series because I'm poor to buy the box set ::sniffle:: Just watching it on Cartoon Network )  
  
"Well, I did have a family. I stayed with my mother until I was nine but then she died of old age. Being the youngest I was babied a whole lot by my sister. To tell the truth, I really did hate being babied like that. I'm not a weakling. Hell, I could take both of my brothers down without a sweat. It was more of my sister that was the strongest one. Granted, she had been the oldest of the four of us."  
  
"How many brothers or sisters?"  
  
"I had two older brothers and one older sister. My sister took care of me a lot since my brothers were always out looking for food."  
  
I had to ask "Where are they now?"  
  
"Well, one older brother was killed by a poacher. The other one died of some weird virus. And then...well....my sister sort of left me on my own one day. Didn't leave a note. Just went out on a little adventure. She always said that she wanted to go out and find paradise. I was really angry for a long time, because this 'paradise' had taken my sister away from me, and I lived on my own ever since I was fourteen. Now that I'm twenty (A/N: Wild guess also ;) I've always been so used to being alone that I've blocked everyone away from me. But...you were the first one that didn't leave me because I was being a cold hearted old man. And, well....if you need anything kid, you just tell me."  
  
"The same goes for you."  
  
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Enough with the sentimental crap."  
  
I could see him blush as I turned around. I hugged him and whispered out "I love you, aniki." (A/N: Aniki=older brother, mentor)  
  
He just patted my head.  
  
IIIII (Kiba POV)  
  
After waiting a couple of hours for them to come back, I thought they had died or something because they still were out there. Tanis was snoring by the fire, Hige said he was going out for a walk, and I really hadn't want to leave Tanis all by herself. But, I knew that she could take care of herself and would call upon us if we needed something. So I walked away from our little sleeping pit and went out looking for Tsume and Toboe. And Hige had left only an hour ago so he should have been back by now. If none of them returned I don't think that Tanis would think very good of us.  
  
So far, I don't think that letting Tanis join us was a bad idea. Sure she could be a little annoying but she's not a complete wacko. Really, no one's more annoying than Hige when he's hungry, you don't get in his way. I'm glad that she did come. The group needed a female touch...if you wanted to call what she brought to the group a 'female touch'. I mean, she's like one of the guys. She's tougher than me if she went through all of that crap. I do hope also that we can help her find her imouto-kun. It's hard to loose family like that. And I should tell her one of these days that it's not her fault because everytime I asked about her imouto-kun, or more specific of how she got lost, she said that it was her fault.  
  
That's really that annoyed me about her. Tanis was a good person and that's what counts. Hopefully, she can help us find our ultimate goal, paradise. That's what I'm reaching for. And if her imouto-kun isn't alive then I'm sure that we'll find her in Paradise; in fact, I'm positive of it.  
  
As I stepped around in the bushes, about five minutes later, I saw Hige tiptoeing towards me. He put a finger on his lips so I wouldn't say anything to him. As soon as he came down towards me I had to ask what he was shushing me about.  
  
"What's the matter? Is there someone around here?" I quickly questioned, ready to attack if need be.  
  
"No, no, no, you have to see this. I know you told me before not to use the word but it's cute," Hige said, leading me towards what I had no clue. When I saw it I couldn't help but have a smile on my face. "That really is cool. I think that Tsume's warming up to him. Don't you think?"  
  
There were Tsume and Toboe, Toboe in his arms as they laid on their sides. It was true, Tsume was warming up to little Toboe. I don't blame him. He was just a kid that you couldn't help but like. When he came in the room all of your attention went towards him; even if he is a little bit shy. Looking at those two I began to wonder if they even needed us anymore. They could very well go off on their own. Be older brother and little brother. Wouldn't be that hard actually but I didn't want them to leave...not yet....not until they found Paradise.  
  
"Yeah, that's cute," I replied.  
  
Then, there was an ear piercing scream from where Tanis was. Toboe and Tsume immediately woke up and we all started running towards where she was.  
  
IIIII (Hige POV)  
  
Crap. Tanis ruined that warm and fuzzy moment. If you want to call it that. I guess whatever it was had to be really important because I don't see her screaming about a bug crawling on her. Although, it would be funny, and it could be something to hold against her. But, in the back of my mind, way, way, way back there, the serious part, you know, your self conscious; I was just hoping that she was okay. Of course I'm worried! We fight like brother and sister! The others really aren't that much fun but she's just a big ball of energy. Or annoyance. Your pick.  
  
As we reach there, I see Tanis surrounded by some bandits. Useless waste of air is what I like to call them. They were trying to rob her of whatever she had. Actually, I don't think Tanis really had brought with her anything of value, or any money for that matter. I watch as Kiba runs in his white wolf form, and I'm secure enough with my masculinity to say that it's very...erm....pretty for a guy, and then he just mauls on of the guys. This time I decided not to 'over kill' as Tanis put it. Yeah, right. I'm not a mass murderer. I turn into my wolf form and simply chase the guys. Because, all the while, Tanis was shouting at us not to kill them. I mean, what did she expect us to do, stand there and let one of us be killed!  
  
After that exciting adventure, and me doing most of the work, (Toboe and Tsume just sat back and watch. Lazy asses) I look at Tanis who's trying to cover up something on her forearm. You can not hide anything from four over protective brother like people. It's just not possible.  
  
"What's wrong with your arm?" I question, just trying to make her say it herself. She shook her head, just grasping it harder. "I know that something is wrong. Tell me now."  
  
Tanis sighed out and took her hand off. There was a deep gash, her arm dripping with blood, and the hand that was trying to keep it from bleeding covered in red. Kiba was the one to treat the wound. Did you actually think that he would let anyone else do that? He said that we were to rough. Whatever you say, Kiba dear. Or should I just call him over- protective brother? I swear, he treats her like she's his little sister or something. Tsume has Toboe. Kiba has Tanis. And I get stuck with nobody. Not that I need a runt running around me, asking me for help, crying on my shoulder, going in that squeaky voice 'Hige, Hige, Hige, Hige, Hige, Hige, Hige, Hige, Hige, Hige, Hige, Hige, Hige, Hige! Look what I can do!' And then just do something simple that any kid could do.  
  
I swear, I get the craziest ideas. I think that I should just go to bed before I just make all of my brain cells shrivel up from just thinking about all of that.  
  
IIIII (Narrator POV)  
  
As Kiba wrapped Tanis's arm, he seemed a bit down. Tanis noticed and had to say something. She wanted to cheer him up but her way of it was sort of, well, annoying.  
  
"Something wrong, Kiba-san?" She questioned, cocking her head cutely in confusion.  
  
"No. I'm fine." He finished bandaging it and just sat next to her.  
  
"No you aren't. Tell me?"  
  
"I'm fine."  
  
"Tell me?"  
  
"Ermm..." Kiba was sort of at a lose for words. What in the heck was she doing? Or what the heck was she trying to get at? Kiba felt fine, sort of. He was just kind of upset that if he hadn't left her by herself that she would have never gotten hurt. "Nothing."  
  
"Tell me?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"No!"  
  
"Yes?" She wouldn't stop until he told her.  
  
"No! I said no so stop asking me! It's annoying!"  
  
"That's the point," Tanis chirped. After a couple seconds, when Kiba thought foolishly that it was all over, she asked quietly "Tell me?"  
  
"Fine! Fine! If you must know I feel guilty," Kiba said. He looked at her arm and then her. She blinked in confusion, she didn't understand his weird explanation of being down, what had happened? "I feel guilty because if I hadn't let you all by yourself you wouldn't have gotten that gash. The last thing that you need is another wound. When we met I could smell a whole lot of your own blood on you. Fresh wounds."  
  
Tanis said cheerfully, with a smile "Kiba! Silly! I'm okay now! If I wanted you to feel guilty about it, then I would be giving you one guilt trip!"  
  
"Oh, thanks, that makes me feel a lot better," He said grimly.  
  
IIIII  
  
::giggles:: Silly little Toby-chan, he's ticklish! VERY ticklish! Anyone dare to give it a try?  
  
Toboe: OO NNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!  
  
Sorry, this chapter was stupid. Pointless. If you hate it, tell me, if you like it, ARIGATO SHIMASTA! ::huggles all who like it:: VV It's okay if it stunk. I know that it did because it kept switching from one thing to another. I wanted to make the whole thing one big Toboe and Tsume fluff but that didn't work out. Sorry once again. ;; I sort of failed you all.  
  
Review please. Reviews make me happy. And NO this isn't the last chappy...one more to go! I think. Or two. But it's probably the last one. 


	9. Pain is finally gone

I've decided...this is the last chapter. I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing BUT you can look out for my new Wolf's Rain story that's coming soon. Okay? Well, wipe a tear from your eye, cause this is the last chapter of 'Protect'.  
  
IIIII (Narrator POV)  
  
"Hey! Mr. Whiskers!" shouted Tanis as she ran through the snow, carrying a pile of white fluff in her hand. Hige turned around (since he had gotten so used to her calling him that by now) only to have ice shoved down the back of his shirt. "Haha! I'm so eeeeviill!"  
  
"Grrrr..." growled Hige as he opened his shirt in the back to let the snow fall out. "I'm going to get you for that!"  
  
"Nyah!" Tanis stuck her tongue out at the fellow wolf.  
  
Hige threw a snowball at her, hitting her in the stomach. "Ha! I got you, you little brat!"  
  
"Little?! Brat!?!" She shrieked, picking up her own snowball. She smushed it into a snowball then held it up threatening him. "You got my shirt wet you idiot."  
  
"Oh, I am so frightened," Mocked Hige with a equally mocking smirk. "You probably have really bad aim anyway. Couldn't hit the broad side of a barn I would think. And you are a little brat. So deal with it."  
  
"Grrrrr...." Tanis growled ready to beat him into a pulp.  
  
"You two! Stop it! We aren't here to play," ordered Tsume roughly as he trudged through with Toboe following close behind. Kiba was right next to Hige and Tanis's snowball fight and got caught right in the middle with some hitting right on his chest...thrown by Hige. Then he started throwing also. "Oh, boy. Is there no end to this groups foolishness?"  
  
"Hey, Tsume?" Toboe questioned.  
  
Looking down at Toboe, he asked "What?"  
  
"Tell me cold the snow is, please," Toboe said with a devious smirk as he shoved two handfuls of the said snow by running his hands up his back. Tsume yelped at the cold as he ran around. Toboe started laughing.  
  
"That is not funny!" Tsume shouted at the pup as he took up some himself. "I am going to get-"  
  
Right there, Tanis had hit him in the shoulder with her own snowball, cutting him off from saying anymore as he swapped at it with a hand to get it off. Hige and Kiba were having their own little battle so Tanis wanted to join on Toboe's side since they were the youngest against the oldest of the group. As for Tsume, well, he just felt out numbered.  
  
"Need help, Toby-chan?" questioned Tanis as she scooped some more up with her hands.  
  
Squeaking out "Sure!" Tsume began to run up the hill, trying escape the terrors that were called children.  
  
"Come back here!" Shouted Tanis, throwing some more snowballs. "These adorable little pup's just want to play in the snow with you!"  
  
"Take this!" Tsume grabbed his own, threw it as high as it could go. Both Tanis and Toboe looked up, and Tanis got it smack dab in the face. "Well, Tanis was the lucky one that got hit."  
  
Swiping it off, Toboe tried to throw his own snowballs but he didn't have much a throwing arm. It always fell one foot in front of Tsume so when he moved up a foot Tsume would only move back a foot also. Just so he wouldn't hit him. Tsume HATED getting wet or being hit by something wet. That's why he does not like snow. But, right now, he didn't have much to worry from Toboe. Until Tanis got the rest of the snow out of her eyes and started hurling endless supplies of snowballs at him.  
  
"ARGH! You hit my face! You will PAY!" shouted Tanis angrily, throwing them as if there was no tomorrow.  
  
Tsume got hit a couple times as he ran towards Hige shouting "She's frickin' crazy! She's just crazy!!" Once he got there, he held Hige in front of him so he got hit instead of him. Soon enough, Hige was covered his ice cold snow.  
  
Tanis breathed hard to catch her breath. She looked down at Toboe who seemed to be in pain since his hands were beginning to bleed since he was making a fist so tightly. The she-wolf's eyes softened as she took his hands, making him loosen the fists.  
  
"Is everything okay?" she questioned.  
  
Toboe nodded "I'll be alright. Just that my back is starting to burn. I don't know if it's from the cold or what..."  
  
"What else?"  
  
"What do you mean 'what else'?"  
  
"I know there's something else. Tell me?"  
  
"Don't you dare start that again," Toboe hissed.  
  
Tanis repeated "Tell me?"  
  
"Stop."  
  
"Tell me? Please?"  
  
"I said shutup!"  
  
"Who, me?"  
  
"Yes, you!" Toboe was getting really pissed off. He was not in the mood for Tanis to do this. "Now be quiet! Before I shove snow down your shirt."  
  
"Awwww....is little Toby-chan getting mad?" she teased, giving him a noogie.  
  
He ducked and slid away so she wouldn't mess up his hair more than she already had. Toboe started putting it back in place, while saying "I'm just still not right. I don't know whats wrong with me. I feel like something is missing."  
  
"Like there is a hole inside of your heart?"  
  
The young boy nodded.  
  
Looking at Tsume, Hige, and Kiba, she said softly "You shouldn't. You're lucky, you've got them. You have family."  
  
(That's right, her imouto is missing) he thought to himself.  
  
"But, I think that your still not feeling right because of all the crap that happened. Though, you have them to help you. And you've got me. So we're going to help you in any way we can. Mentally or physically. We'll try. If you let us. You'll let us help you get through this, right?"  
  
He nodded once again. (I can only hope that I can get through this)  
  
"I want you to know that it's natural that you carry some scars. No matter how bad it may get Tsume, I, Hige, and Kiba will be right behind you. So don't you try anything on your own! Your the chibi and I'm not letting anything happen to my Toby-chan! Haha!"  
  
The elder girl gave him a hug, he whispered "Thank you."  
  
"Aw, you two are going to bring tears to my eyes," joked Hige.  
  
"Rrrr!" the two growled.  
  
IIIII (Toboe POV)  
  
What Tanis said was true. They can only help me if I let them. I'm not sure if I want to do that, you see, I'm still scared that something is going to happen. The talk with Tsume last night got things out but it got me more agitated than I already was. If that's even possible! What am I supposed to do? Fujii and Roi plague my dreams; turning them into nightmares that seem to drag on forever. They won't stop. I'm whipped over and over. The pain getting more and more. My back slick with blood. Then, I beg them to stop, but they just laugh in my face.  
  
It all ends when I try to run away but they shoot me down. Full of bullets I die on the spot. It's an awful dream but I have it over and over again. I want those nightmares to stop. I hate them! Why won't they stop? Until someone wakes me up, since I'm squirming or whimpering, I can't bring myself out. The pain feels like it's actually happens. I can feel their cold touch. The whip making contact, ripping my flesh. It makes me feel that I never want to go to sleep. Ever again. The others are trying to cheer me up. They really are. But this is all I can do. Just lay there, helpless, as the nightmare continues. Hoping that someone will wake me up. Sometime I wonder why me?  
  
I know why but why couldn't it have been someone else? Someone stronger? I may be strong but I'm only fourteen. There is only so much that I can do. Back there, I was still not able to do that run for Tanis, and even though she said she was feeling okay I knew that she was in serious pain. Call it just a sense. I'm not sure if I should just go all out crying or try to stay tough.  
  
I've put on my bravest face. I've done everything I can. Now I'm at the deep end, searching for answers that I know that I'm not going to be able to grasp. I don't want the others to see me cry. Because, the worst thing that could happen to me, is the people that I care about the most, hating me. I'm scared to tell the truth. Scared to go to sleep. Scared to cry. Scared to get close anyone. Scared to even speak now. I know that I'm not strong enough but I'm trying. I really am.  
  
"Toboe," said a familiar voice, I looked up. There stood Kiba in front of me, everyone else was at the fire, trying to warm up. But I sat by a tree.  
  
He put a finger on my cheek, catching tears that were falling.  
  
"Your crying," He said.  
  
"I-I...erm..." I was at a loss for words. I guess my subconcious made me cry. This is the last thing that I wanted to happen! Now Kiba might think that I'm a big cry baby! "I'm sorry! I was just, I don't know."  
  
"It's alright," Kiba replied, sitting in front of me, staring me in the eyes. "I understand. Toboe, you know, it's not good to keep it inside."  
  
"But-"  
  
"We won't judge you for crying. There's a time when you need to cry, and a time where it won't help you, but this will help you. If you don't cry then that'll just hurt you more on the inside. Tsume tried to help you now I want to try. It's the only way to get you feeling happy again. I want the old Toboe back. The happy one."  
  
"Kiba..." I sobbed out, hugging him around the neck "T-The happy one you want isn't anymore! I'm sorry! I can't do it! I'm putting on my bravest face but it's not doing any good! The nightmares keep coming back to me! Please...make it all stop....I don't want to be like this anymore. I want to be the Toboe that you like! Now you hate me!"  
  
"No we don't!" he snapped back. Surprisingly, he hugged back, cradling me a bit. "Your Toboe no matter what! Nothing will ever change that! I know that the happy little Toboe is in there somewhere! You're stronger than you appear to be, Toboe, I know this for a fact."  
  
_I've got to try....try to be the same as I was before this happened..._ I thought to myself. Now _I am determined to do so. There are to many people that care about me to not atleast put in an effort. I've got to.  
_  
IIIII (Narrator POV)  
  
That next morning, Toboe looked around. Everyone was still sleeping. The small boy knew what he had to do, he had to do what he would usually do every morning, go wake them up so they could eat something. He forced himself to get up, despite that burning pain filling his back; Toboe stood up using the tree next to him as something to lean on.  
  
Taking in a deep breath Toboe walked over to Kiba first. He was the closest since, well, he was only a couple feet away from him. Shaking him lightly the dark brown haired wolf's eyes fluttered open to see a smiling Toboe over him. Wait. Toboe was actually smiling? He hadn't been smiling in so long that it was a welcome sight to behold to Kiba. He sat up while Toboe walked over to Hige, shaking him.  
  
As expected Hige just shrugged the shaking off then rolled back to sleep.  
  
Tanis wasn't to happy about being woken up at nine in the morning but she got up despite that. Like Kiba, she was equally happy that Toboe was smiling.  
  
Tsume woke up wearily but he was awake.  
  
The female of the group walked over to Hige, poking him in the arm with a finger. "Hige. Wake up. Now. Or I will light a fire, and throw you in it."  
  
"Mmm..." He whined.  
  
Tsume gave a 'pph'. Then said to Tanis "You should give up. He's not going to wake up. He's a lazy ass; don't think that he would even wake up if I were to keep on insulting him. Calling him chubby, weirdo, stupid, moron, girl chaser-"  
  
"Shutup," Hige said, sitting up.  
  
"Your fault. You wouldn't wake up," said Kiba as he and Toboe walked over to them.  
  
Hige pointed to Tanis and accused "Because this little brat kept me up all night with her singing 'This is the song that never ends' all damn night!"  
  
"I told you that I have to do that to fall asleep. And annoy you."  
  
Toboe asked rather randomly, breaking the arguement,"Do you guys want to go and eat or something? I'm hungry."  
  
"Toboe?" Kiba asked, walking up to him. "You feeling better? You seem to be....happy."  
  
"Well, I can't be depressed forever. All I can do is make a better future for myself," Toboe said with a big old smile.  
  
Kiba put a hand on his shoulder. "Thanks. I'm glad to know that. Guess that we'll see the old Toboe from now on. Right?"  
  
"Uh-huh."  
  
"That's good to know."  
  
"Tanis! Let go!" Hige yelled for she was pulling on his arm to get him to stand up. "I'm not going to stand! I'm tired! I'm going back to sleep!"  
  
"Lazy," Tsume whispered.  
  
"I heard that."  
  
"You aren't going back to sleep! Toboe wants to go and eat!" she replied, using all of her strength to pull him off the ground. He did finally give in because she would have pulled out his arm at that rate. "Good. Let's go eat. I'm hungry too, to tell the truth."  
  
All of their stomachs growled in agreement.  
  
They're my reason to keep on going. I'm sure that I would have gave up if it weren't for them. And Kuro-kun. I have to go back to myself. I'm going to give it my all. After what they've all said to me, how can I not feel loved? Tanis doesn't even have hear imouto but she's still going, being happy. Though, it seems like a coverup at times. And the others all have scars but they also keep on going. If they can't lift my spirits up I don't think anyone else in the entire world could do that. Toboe thought to himself with a big smile. Well, world, here I come.  
  
IIIII  
  
Yes. Short but I think that it was atleast decent ::eye twitches:: O.- Great. I sound like an idiot complementing my own stories. Now that the story is done I have thanks to some special people (but I thank all of you for your reviews)  
  
MalletWielderOfDoom: Yes, my neesama. Thank you a lot, Kate-Kate! Luvv you ::huggles:: EVERYONE: LOOK OUT FOR THE SEQUEL FROM HER.  
  
Hottie From Hell: :D Thanks a whole lot. One of my favs. Of course. She's going to be in my next Wolf's Rain story so look out for Cristi Turner!  
  
Mai Mianase: Don't hate me because the chapter was short ::twitches:: Anyway, thanks for all of the constructive critism.  
  
Brittney Anna: You were so sweet to me! ::huggles:: Thanks a whole lot! :) :) :) :) :)  
  
Zee: I have to thank you, of course! Your so awesome! :)  
  
Those five helped me a lot. And everyone else did too. Just that they sort of stuck out to me ::twitches:: Don't be hating.  
  
NEWS: The sequel type thingy for Protect will be by MalletWeilderofDoom. She's sort of a slow updater so it might take a while. :D  
  
Sorry that it took so long to get up. I had really bad writers block ::twitches...again:: O.- I can feel you all already beating my head in with sludge hammers for the late update. Don't be hating! I'm already twitching, haven't you tortured me enough! But, I thank you all, and please review. :) Hope you liked the chap even if it was extra short.  
  
Sakaki's Little Sis: Out 


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